Being broken speaks to an individual not being whole. The amazing part of that though is this- broken crayons still color. The fact that a crayon is broken does not diminish it's ability to be used for the sole purpose it was created for. And yes there are some who prefer crayons new, fresh and intact. As a child I was likely one who would refuse to color with broken crayons as well as those that were no longer sharp. I now know the immense value of the brokeness. This brings me to kintsugi. Wikipedia defines kintsugi, also known as kintsukuroi, as the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. Conversations contrasting the beauty of kintsugi to the beauty that radiates from an individuals brokenness are common these days.
One key element that caught my attention was the fact that the preferred mending agents consist of forms of gold, silver or platinum which are naturally occuring rare metals. Trauma, trials, tribulations and anything we deal with that leaves us scarred are all things that naturally occur no matter how negative and disturbing. In retrospect I know in my life that the very things that were intended to break me, discredit me and render me worthless are in actuality the very things that make me the strong, resilient woman I am today. If it had not been for the cracks there would be no reason for me to be writing this today! Google more about kingsugi and check out the prices and think about you and your life. No one wants to seemingly destroy a beautiful vase or pottery. But when we know the truth- that what we initially saw as imperfections are actually what make us awesome- we see ourselves and others through a new lense. That new perspective empowers us to share with others and encourage them that their beauty and strength stem not from lack of scars or obstacles but instead from the priceless gold that radiates from everything they have overcome in the past, are overcoming presently and will overcome in their future!
Now back to those broken crayoms...I never realized that crayons melt until I left a pack in my car. Boy was I surprised to see what happened to the perfectly packaged crayons after being in my car in hundred degree weather. I noticed something else too. Because they melted, once I removed them from the heat they became hard again but what amazed me were the beautiful mixture of mess that was there! The beautiful mixture of mess in my life has led to the powerful message that I now boldly share. So not only do broken crayons still color but broken vases gain more value after their imperfections are highlighted instead of hidden. Have you found this to be true in your life?
Please feel free to share your thoughts on this topic.
Comments