Sometimes There’s Beauty in Being Broken

“There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” ~ Leonard Cohen

I saw this trailer for a television show that mentioned this Japanese phrase “Kintsugi” which translates to the belief that something broken is stronger and more beautiful because of its imperfections, the history attached to it, and its altered state. It was mentioned initially in the context of talking about the Japanese art form of using liquid gold to join broken pieces of pottery together. It was also used in talking about people and how they see imperfections, both in others and in themselves.

It got me to thinking about all the things we think of as our breaking points. Things that we see as the worst moments in our lives. That leave us feeling shattered into a million tiny pieces. We spend a lot of time trying to fix the things that are broken. To put back together the pieces of all the things that keep falling apart around us. Trying to make them as close to ‘perfect’ as they once were. We never seem to take stock in the beauty that presents itself after the breaking has been done.

What makes us, as human beings, truly beautiful is our uniqueness and the imperfect parts of ourselves. We as a society tend to think we want the perfect life, the perfect friend, the perfect partner, or even the perfect career, but is that what we really want? Would we work as hard at our relationships and friendships and the careers that we are so passionate about if it all remained so perfectly in tact and unbroken?

There’s no uniqueness in that. No excitement. There’s nothing extraordinary about things that are perfect. There’s a reason why we oftentimes seek out the unique and odd things. Why we’re so enticed by things that are rare. Why the imperfect moments in our lives stand out so much. Yeah, a part of it is because of how much those moments may break us down. But the other part of that is in the strength that we gather within ourselves to build things back up. Not just build to make us whole again but also to make us better.

Sometimes the things that were meant to break us turn into blessings that we never realized we needed. It never quite feels that way at the time but after reflection you start to realize that oftentimes the changes that we needed to make in our lives, both for ourselves and the people around us, wouldn’t have happened had our hand not been forced. There are even times that, had our walls not crumbled around us, we may not have even realized just how much we needed to change to begin with. In some instances, it is those walls that needed to come down to begin with in order to give us the best possible chance at true growth and development.

Broken does not mean worthless. Broken does not mean there is no longer any purpose. Broken does not mean things are not repairable. Broken just means a little bruised or a little damaged and aren’t we all in some way a little bit damaged? Things that have been broken still hold value. We, who have been broken, still hold value. So, the next time you break something, and you think that it’s just no longer any good, the next time you yourself feel like you’ve been broken beyond repair and are of no use, take a step back. Look at the pieces and how they fit now and treasure the new pattern that those pieces now make. Cherish the beauty that now presents itself, not the same as before, but now more unique than it ever was.

Until next time… #BeImperfect #BeUnique #BeResilient

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Jimmetta Carpenter

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