Sonder: Youth Mental Health Stories of Struggle & Strength | Page 97

that I only paid attention to the negative things in my life while still wearing
a mask of positivity. When I realized this wasn't working so well for me, I
figured maybe I'd start to seek joy, to seek out wholeness. To seek out what
I always told other people they deserved, but hypocritically didn't even let
myself feel. And I found joy as soon as I started to look for it.
I didn't only find joy. I found confidence. I found peace. I found wisdom and
strength. I found me.
And that is the gold that fills my cracks. The thing about kintsukoroi is that
the original cracks are still completely visible, even being magnified by
the lacquer that holds the broken pieces together. But part of the beauty
is found in knowing that something that was once in pieces can be made
whole again. And not only made whole, but more beautiful than before.
And I know that I have more cracks just waiting to be etched into my life,
but I am okay with that, for I know that there is beauty in the mending.
If you are feeling broken, no matter what sort of pain that may be, please
know that you are not stuck. You are never alone, and you are so loved. You
will find the gold that fills every crack. You are never "beyond repair". ●
"We are all broken. That's how the light gets in."
— ERNEST HEMINGWAY
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