PARTS OF SELF

UNDERSTANDING "PARTS OF SELF"
as seen through a Chinese poem-Author Unknown

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots. Each hung on the ends of the pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishment. The poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. I'm ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak all the way back to your house. The old woman smiled and said did you notice that there are flowers on the side of the path where the pot is cracked but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path and everyday when we walk back you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house. Each of us have our own unique flaws (or parts of self) but it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

Each of us has cracks and flaws, but this is only a part of who we are. Instead you are a combination of all your parts and that is what makes you the unique human being you are.