Cracked pot

A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole
which he carried across his 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
bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for
which it was made.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable
that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the
water bearer one day by the stream.

"I am ashamed of myself, and because this crack in my side causes water to
leak out all the way
back to your house."

The bearer said to the pot,
"Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but
not on the other pot's side?
That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower
seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've
watered 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"

Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots.

But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so
very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what
they are, and look for the good in them.
Blessings to all my crackpot friends.
-author unknown

You are special

$20 Dollar Bill

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00
bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"
Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do
this. He proceeded to crumple the $20 dollar bill up.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.

Well, he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground
and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up,
now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went
into the air...

My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I
did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in
value.

It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped,
crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the
circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But
no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose
your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still
priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in
what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE.

You are special - Don't EVER forget it."

Count your blessings, not your problems. Never be afraid to try
something new. And remember: amateurs built the ark ...professionals
built the Titanic.

After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn
that love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn
that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of woman, not the grief of a child
and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is
too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down
in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye, you learn..