AGGRANDIZE with Gold ...

When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold.  They believe that when something's suffered damage and has history, it becomes more beautiful.  

~Barbara Bloom


Old vases have always drawn my attention.  I have quite a collection from flea markets, gifts received, and 'memory pieces' from departing friends.  By collection, I mean a gathering of items that 'speak' to me and not necessarily having any significant monetary value. 

As I have moved so many times over the years, I frequently will notice a hair line crack in a piece that apparently had not been packed as well as I had intended.  I'll still use the piece, but will turn the imperfect side to the back.  If there is a chip, I try to arrange the flowers to hang over the side hiding the flaw.  Chips, cracks, or discoloration are always turned to the back.

When I read the words of Barbara Bloom about the Japanese practice to aggrandize cracks with gold, finding beauty in the history, it made me think about life in general.  How would we be different if after surviving a damaging experience, we would celebrate survival?  What if we stopped hiding imperfections and honored the lesson learned or strength received?  Do you suppose if we could see each others history of struggle we would not be as threatened by each other ... that we would perhaps be joined by similarities rather than separated by the sense of irregularities?

Society seems to be riddled with shame and guilt causing the repression of events and emotions that have negatively impacted life.  I do not suggest highlighting trauma that has devastated life, but rather creating respect and recognizing the resiliency of the human spirit.  If we filled our gaping wounds with gold after cleansing/healing, patching the broken piece back into place with the whole, we would be more inclined to move forward with a sense of respect than hanging heads as damaged goods.

We are all on a journey, suffering and learning, collecting cracks, chips, and discoloration.  Let us use compassion as the gold to fill the brokenness of others so that they may move forward in life with grace and beauty.