I have always been drawn to some parts of Japanese culture. The simplicity they have practiced for hundreds of years. The art of simple living. The efficiency in motion in their martial arts.
Shirin-yoku which translates to forest bathing is a practice of mindfully connecting with the sights and sounds of nature. I often will just sit and breathe in savoring the aroma like you would with smelling the essence of a fine wine of that area. I’ll confess on the other hand I have the American habit of materialism. So, I really need to read Marie Kondo’s book and declutter my life and my basement.
I have way too much clutter in my life. The mental clutter that inhabits far too much of my gray matter. I overthink things so much I should be charging rent for those thoughts. Being LGBTQ+ comes with a lot of social media driven clutter. But this blog might resonate to anyone whether you’re from the alphabet mafia or not.
Too many times the Transgender and Non-Binary community has had a light shined on us. A spotlight so bright we looked like someone escaping from Alcatraz. It’s as if our differences are so cringe worthy, we must be broken. They love smearing us across primetime television to the folks who use the word “Merica” not America. And it did impact my psyche. I’ll admit it weighed my spirit down.
Kintsugi is the art of putting broken pottery pieces back together again.
The porcelain cup can look so beautiful yet be fragile and be easily broken. The Kintsugi master carefully glues each broken piece back into place. The glue is made with the resin from an urushi (a Lacquer tree). The cup is then carefully set aside for four weeks to cure.
Time heals all wounds, I guess time cures all cracks too.
Once it is cured then lacquer is mixed with gold and carefully painted over the repaired cracks or scars. Used to highlight the repair, not hide them. Embracing these repairs that would be considered imperfections has created something more beautiful and stronger. Wabi sabi: Wabi means alone and Sabi is the passage of time. It takes time to heal. Time alone to cure like the usushi lacquer. And the gold tracing the repairs, highlighting them not hiding them. What would at first look like imperfection, is something so unique. So much more beautiful. Stronger than the original. It is celebrating the beauty in perceived imperfection.
You are unique. You are beautiful. You are perfect.