Kintsugi

I had no words, only tears, as I drove through the coves around my neighborhood when I returned to Asheville after the hurricane. The trees that were still standing looked like toothpicks. They no longer had branches or leaves. Their tops gone and broken or they were sprawling laying like pick-up-sticks, one on top of each other, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them. Some of the downed trees had huge massive root balls still intact, that looked like they just leaned over and laid down for a nap. Some were twisted and gnarled, leaving no question that a tornado had also touched down. My heart ached for each one. It seems like that is what my heart has been doing alot of recently. Aching. Aching for those who lost loved ones, who lost animals, who lost their homes, their businesses, their livelyhoods and more. It ached for survivors who day after day continue to shovel river mud from their homes, their businesses, their towns. I ached for towns that were completely destroyed. I ached for the animals that were gone, or who no longer have a place to live, and I ached for the rivers that are now polluted and the fish that once lived in them. Everything torn apart in a matter of hours. Like a bomb had gone off. My heart ached for the peace that was once around my world.

Recently I visited the Portland Japanese Garden recently and saw an exhibit on Kintsugi from Naoko Fukumaru. Her explaination is so beautiful and I encourage you to read it.

Basically, Kintsugi is the process of taking bits of glue and mixing it with gold flakes and mending the cracks in a broken peice of pottery to make it whole again and beautiful in a whole new way. The internet says that Kintsugi is "is to honor and value something that appears broken - it is related to a larger philosophical framework because this process of repair can be a powerful metaphor for situations that we encounter in life." When I look around the broken pieces of Asheville, I know the glue and the gold are the people who surrounded our town with love, with help, with compassion, resources, benefit concerts and more. The people that came from far and wide with tools, food, water and helping hands. Everyone pitched in and continues to do their part in any way the can. They have begun the Kintsugi process on our beautiful vessel that is Western North Carolina. Kintsugi has a whole new meaning as I drive through WNC and open the door to a new year.

President Jimmy Carter said "I have one life and one chance to make it count for something. My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have, to try and make a difference." That is my new year, next year and years to come resolution. May we all try to be the glue and the gold and help restore the brokeness for those who need it most.

May God bless you and be with you and the people you love this New Year.

xo