When reflecting on the Japanese artwork of kintsugi, one can discover inspiration throughout a most cancers journey, as CURE columnist Chester Freeman defined.
Freeman, a bladder most cancers survivor who has additionally acquired a analysis of power lymphocytic leukemia, mentioned this supply of inspiration whereas he filmed a video entry for CURE in his yard Japanese backyard.
Kintsugi, as Freeman defined, is the standard artwork of utilizing gold to fix a damaged cup.
“I am not attempting to cover or deny that I’ve most cancers. What I am attempting to do is to go additional deep inside myself, as a result of kintsugi encourages you to go deep and to seek out your interior power,” stated Freeman, who hung out in Japan as an alternate scholar whereas in faculty. “So, that is the philosophy behind it, in order that when the cup is full, or the glass is full, it turns into lovely, and the gold makes it stronger.”
Transcript
Once I was first recognized with most cancers, I used to be actually very scared and frightened, and one of many issues that I discovered very useful was mindfulness meditation. And as you see, I am standing right here by a Japanese lantern, and there is a custom in Japan known as kintsugi. And kin means gold, and tsugi means mending. So, when a cup or glass breaks, they mend it with gold mud. And as an alternative of hiding the break, they really spotlight the break.
And so, I exploit that in my very own most cancers journey. So, I am not attempting to cover or deny that I’ve most cancers. What I am attempting to do is to go additional deep inside myself, as a result of kintsugi encourages you to go deep and to seek out your interior power. So that is the philosophy behind it, in order that when the cup is full, or the glass is full, it turns into lovely, and the gold makes it stronger.
So, what I’ve discovered is that there are three issues that we’d like. First is we have to meditate. It is simply so necessary to assist us heart ourselves. Second, we’d like the help of household and mates, and third, we have to go deep down inside ourselves to seek out that interior power, and it is all the time there. It is by no means straightforward to seek out it, however when you do, you are nicely in your approach. So, I simply maintain reminding myself, it is not straightforward, however I can do it, and if I can do it, you’ll be able to too.
Transcript has been edited for readability and conciseness.
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