We come into this world supple as clay. It is the appliance of our environment and the weathering of time that hardens us. Makes us liable to break. And all do break, some time or another. Little cracks can weaken the surface. Major fractures come out of nowhere. Whatever it is, our hard bodies cannot endure the weather of life without some damage.
It is a rare pot that can fix itself. We need others. They need you. Mending comes from both within and without, and it is seldom seen that it is just one or the other.
And things can be restored. Not to how they were. Not really. But the blemishes can be painted over. The cracks sealed together. The foundations made sturdy again. Some imitate the original as best they can. Others embrace the beauty of their broken nature. They fill the cracks with gold and make something new. Not of lesser or greater beauty or purpose. Just different.
And we will weather again. Harden further. Break easier.
But so long as we mend each other, the patterns in our skin will grow ever more intricate. Gold will flutter in our veins.
Paddy Dobson
30th October 2021