The One Who Mends Cracks

In a village, there was an old carpenter who specialized in repairing discarded wooden tables and chairs. One day, a young man brought him a chair with a broken leg. The young man said, "This chair is already broken. Even if repaired, it won't be like new. Is it really necessary to fix it?" The old carpenter replied while working, "Look at this crack; it certainly won't disappear. But if it's mended firmly, it can still bear weight." The young man asked, confused, "But doesn't the remaining crack prove that it was once broken?" The old carpenter smiled. "Yes! But the crack only proves it was once injured; it doesn't prove it's worthless from now on." Several hours later, the chair was repaired. Although the mending marks were still visible on the surface, it was still stable when sat upon. As the young man left with the chair, he suddenly recalled a recent failure he had experienced. He used to believe that if something wasn't done well, it meant he wasn't good enough; if he stumbled once, it was as if he had lost the qualification to start anew. Now, he finally understood that people are the same. Failing an exam, you can prepare again; making a mistake at work, you can learn and improve; the end of a relationship doesn't mean you are unworthy of love. We don't have to pretend we've never failed, nor do we need to rush to hide all our scars. True growth isn't about ensuring life never has cracks, but about having the ability to live well even after experiencing those cracks. Don't assume you can no longer bear the future just because you broke something in the past. Some repairs make us more cautious; some experiences make us more mature.