“Kintsukuroi” means “to repair with gold” in Japanese, and is the art of repairing pottery with gold and understanding that the piece is the more beautiful for having been broken.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with my #editor, she told me my story reminded her of the ancient art of Kintsutkoroi. At the time, I had never heard of it, but when she mentioned it I was instantly intrigued. From what she knew about my story, of having lost my husband when I was only 31, and my journey afterwards, raising my two young sons and raising awareness for young widows, she mentioned that this is exactly how she viewed my story. The Ancient Egyptians believed gold to be divine and indestructible. In modern folklore, it is the prized possession of every dragon. In its purest form, gold means truth and honesty, but also greed, control, shallow needs and extravagance. In several popular #movie franschises like Harry Potter, the theme of gold runs deep, right down to the wizarding currency, and the glimmer of a Golden Snitch.
In Harry Potter, Gold is as closely linked to the legend of the Philosopher’s Stone as it is to Gringotts bank. One myth surrounding the Philosopher’s Stone was its ability to turn mundane metals into gold. And the fact that the stone can be used to extend a person’s life too is, in many ways, a golden opportunity. This is basically the essence of Kintsukoroi, that what was formerly broken can be turned golden and into a golden opportunity.
After my husband died, I didn’t think I could overcome the grief. I wasn’t sure what my next steps were or how my life would unfold. Now that I look back, I wish I could have told my younger self that all would be well. I wish I could have told my 3o-year old self – you will be better than before. If you are going through grief or loss or separation or divorce, just remember the ancient art of Kintsutkoroi. Whatever is broken can become molten.
