Treasured Heart

Kintsugi is the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery 

with resin sprinkled with real gold powder.  

The Japanese make no attempt to hide the repairs, 

but rather accentuate the breaks with gold 

so they become part of the beauty of the pottery, 

rendering the piece stronger and more valuable after being repaired.

Perhaps the human heart should be considered Kintsugi.  

If we gingerly patch the inevitable breaks with golden tenderness, 

then treasure that beautiful heart 

and honor it as stronger and more precious than ever, 

perhaps then we won't close them off to the world, 

expecting them to be ever unblemished.  

And we can get on with the messy business 

of loving and losing and loving again.

Of course, we don't enjoy the darkest times in our lives, 

the times when we are broken and in pain, 

but if we can remember that the darkness defines the light...

that we can't see the candle's flame in the brilliance of a summer day...

then we will remember that the dark 

is a time of holding on to our hearts,

tenderly patching the broken bits, 

and allowing time to heal.  

May you  treasure and honor your battered heart.

♥Shelly