Have you heard of the Japanese art form called Kintsugi? It's a traditional art form that sees the repair of broken ceramics with gold paint. Imagine your favourite antique tea cup is dropped and the handle comes off. Instead of throwing it away (or throwing a tantrum!), kintsugi sees the handle being glued back on with a gold paint/glue mixture. Your favourite tea cup now has a golden vein around the handle, showing the strength of rebuilding after being broken. It is a very powerful metaphor for self-development and I'm not sure whether writer Ernest Hemingway was referring to Kintsugi when he made this quote, but it made me think of it as soon as I read it.
To me, it is a wonderful way to think about scars, our flaws and the parts of us that have been broken, and to love them and appreciate them for the journey that they have taken us on. It also reminds me not to toss something away simply because it is broken. Being broken in a way that does not impact its usefulness means that we can still use the object. And if we are feeling creative, we can purchase some gold paint, mix it with our liquid glue and create something new and beautiful that reminds us of our acceptance, our creativity and our resilience. It might seem like a lot to get from a broken tea cup, but I'm sure that Hemingway would agree with me. What about you?
Have a lovely week. Please pop back on Friday for another free word search inspired by the classics!
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