Graceful Weirdness

The Cracked Water Pot: An Indian Story 

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hanging on one end of a pole, which he carried across his neck. One pot was perfect and delivered a full portion of water after the long walk from the stream to the master’s house. The other pot had a crack in it and leaked, so that it always arrived half full.

For two years the bearer delivered only one and a half pots of water to the master. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. The cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only a half of what it had been made to do.

It spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I want to apologize to you.”

“Why?” The man said.

“I am only able to deliver half of my load because this crack in my side causes a leak. Because of my flaw, you do all of this work and don’t get the value of your effort.”

The water bearer responded, “As we return to the master’s house, notice the beautiful flowers along the road. Do you see that there are flowers only on your side of the path? Because I know your flaw, I took advantage of it and planted seeds on your side of the path. You’ve watered them every day. And I’ve been able to pick them to decorate the master’s table. Without you being just as you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                                                                      A West Asian Folk Tale

Perfection comes in many guises. We aren’t able to recognize them all. It’s just possible that what we consider our fatal flaw might just be perfection in disguise. Remember the cracked pot next time you are about to criticize yourself, or someone else. How many seedlings have we been nourishing unknowingly? It looks like Creation may be depending upon our broken ways. Beauty mangled is still beauty.

In fact, I think we might all be cracked pots. This life is weird enough that my flaws just might be my perfection. My crack pot ideas carry me into a host of situations that turn out in ways I would never expect. So, do my plans. Does the Universe chuckle, or am I imagining it?

There is no accounting for the way this life keeps twisting around and becoming something else. Usually something unexpected, that pulls out of us some hidden and unknown beauty. The water bearers creativity and compassion is a true model of our capacity.

Through some compassionate mystery we are perfect with all of our flaws. How’s that for a wacky full-paradoxical reality? Being human in such a world is just part of the graceful weirdness we get to be part of.\