I recently learned about the Japanese way of repairing broken ceramics through a process called kintsugi. When a beloved pot or plate or mug or bowl or vase breaks, we usually throw it away. There is not good repair for these items. But the Japanese developed a way to bond them together and make them more beautiful. After a resin used to bond the broken pieces together and the edges are smoothed, the repair is completed with gold (kintsugi) or silver (gintsugi) painted into the mended areas. They form golden veins. This ‘Golden repair” makes the object more beautiful than before.
When I first read about kintsugi, I had one of those moments of epiphany that occurs when two totally different areas of my life combine. I was going to be facilitating an evening class with my friend. We had 19 women signed up to do a project called “the River of Life,’ which is part of the Wise Aging program designed by the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.
My friend and I participated in a two-day workshop to become instructors several years ago. We had taught a full class on the topic of Wise Aging, but this was our first class in a while. We were only going to touch on this one area where participants look back through their life, remembering the stories that were important to them, while seeing the threads and trends that impacted how they journeyed through life.
Sometimes people have a difficult time looking back on their lives. Events occurred that bring them distress because they have been unable to overcome the emotions that those memories bring to them. They cannot get past and cannot move forward. They see this as a broken thread; an unresolved flaw in their river.
Although not Kintsugi, the turquoise embedded in the bowl’s cracks and flaws makes it more beautiful
It was while I was preparing for this class that I was reading a book for my job called, “The Growth Mindset Playbook, A Teacher’s Guide to Promoting Student Success.” In Chapter 5, subtitled as “Failure As A path to Success,” the authors ended the chapter with information about kintsugi. In the book the authors wrote, “These restorations are not seen as a flaw in the piece, but as part of its history and something that makes it uniquely beautiful, and more interesting and valuable than before.”
YES! The journeys we take in our lives are like the rivers with bends and falls and excitement, thrilling moments followed by peaceful floats. Events occur that we cannot control. We can only control our reactions to these events. We have some control of the boat and the steering, but oftentimes events shatter our world. We feel broken. But we, like items repaired through kintsugi, are actually more beautiful and interesting because of our experiences. We learn through each event we see and experience. We become wiser and we can provide so much guidance.
Through failure we learn. But is it really failure? I think not. Each episode or event in our life enriches our understanding of ourselves and of others. Empathy and compassion for others is increased when we can see the world in their place.
I am feel emotional attachment to those who suffer from infertility, because I too suffered though this. I also underwent procedures and surgeries in an effort to have a family. I feel what they feel. But the golden veins of repair have helped me be a compassionate friend.
I saw kintsugi as the perfect way to explain this philosophy to the class.
The important aim, for me, is to always keep positive. I want to see my life’s journey completed by golden and silver streams of repairs. Each one making me stronger and more lovely. My outlook on the world might be different then before I needed the repair. When I look back at my life I want no regrets. I want to believe that all that happened made me stronger, just as the repairs increase the strength of the broken ceramics
I believe, like kintsugi, each of our journeys through the river of our lives is uniquely beautiful. It just takes us opening our eyes and seeing the best and not focusing on the hardships that will get us through.
zicharonot 
Beautifully stated, and the image really is powerful. Thank you.
The image of Kintsugi has been on my mind since I learned of it. I think it so describes life in a positive way.
It does—-one other analogy comes to mind—that the gold and silver lines filling the cracks are like our hard-earned wrinkles. They add beauty and meaning to our lives by showing that we have lived long enough to have them.
Yes!
Really enjoyed this post. Kintsugi is such a beautiful idea more so when applied to ourselves.
It is such a wonderful path to healing I believe.