Inspirational story: You see a flaw, others see a gift

Long ago, in a small village in India, there was a kind and hardworking water bearer. Every morning, as the sun rose over the distant hills, he walked down to the stream to fetch water for his master’s house. He carried a wooden pole across his neck, and on each end of the pole hung a large clay pot. One of the pots was perfect, strong, whole, and without any cracks. It always carried a full portion of water, never spilling a single drop. The other pot, however, had a small crack on its side. No matter how hard it tried, by the time they reached the master’s house, it had lost half of its water along the way. For two whole years, the water bearer made this journey every day, carrying both pots one arriving full, the other arriving only half full. The perfect pot was proud of its work. Every day, it accomplished exactly what it was made for. But the cracked pot felt ashamed. It believed it was a failure, unable to do what it was meant to do. Each day, as they walked back from the stream, the cracked pot watched in sorrow as water dripped from its side, leaving a trail behind. No matter how hard it tried to hold the water, it could not stop the slow, steady leak. It thought to itself, I am worthless. I cannot even do the simple job I was made for. My flaws make me a burden.

One day, as the water bearer filled the pots at the stream, the cracked pot finally found the courage to speak. “Master,” it said softly, “I am ashamed of myself. Every day, I try to carry water to the master’s house, but because of my crack, I lose half of it before we even arrive. I fail you, and I fail my purpose. I am truly sorry.” The water bearer paused for a moment, looking at the pot with kindness. Then he smiled gently and said, “My dear pot, as we walk back today, I want you to look closely at the side of the path where you always spill your water.” Confused but willing to listen, the cracked pot watched carefully as they made their way back to the master’s house. For the first time, it noticed something it had never paid attention to before. Along the side of the path where it dripped water, vibrant wildflowers bloomed in every color—yellow, pink, blue, and purple. Their petals danced in the breeze, and the air was filled with their sweet fragrance. When they arrived at the house, the pot spoke again. “Yes, the flowers are beautiful,” it admitted, “but what does that have to do with me? I am still broken. I still fail at my job.”

The water bearer knelt beside the pot and said, “Did you not see? There were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the side of the perfect pot. That is because I knew about your flaw, and instead of seeing it as a weakness, I saw it as an opportunity. I planted flower seeds along your side of the path, and every day as we walked, you watered them without even realizing it.” He continued, “For two years, these flowers have bloomed because of you. Because of your so-called flaw, I have been able to pick fresh flowers to bring beauty to my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, this path would be empty, and the house would lack its beauty.” The cracked pot was silent. For so long, it had seen its imperfection as a weakness. It had believed that because it could not carry a full portion of water, it had no value. But now, for the first time, it saw things differently. Maybe I was never meant to be perfect, it thought. Maybe my purpose was never to carry a full pot of water but to bring life and beauty to the world in my own special way. From that day on, the cracked pot no longer felt ashamed. It still lost water, and it still arrived only half full, but now, it did so with pride. It understood that sometimes, what we see as our greatest weakness can be our greatest strength if only we look at it from a new perspective.