Sometimes restoration is simply not possible—there is no way to get things back to the way they were. But sometimes it is possible to make something new out of the wreckage, like a mosaic from the shards of broken pottery.
How have you found or made something new out of what could not be restored?
Being out of tune is a problem of damaged relationships—the notes on an instrument or between instruments have become out of sync, discordant. Tuning an instrument is a careful, meticulous and sometimes tedious process of careful listening and small adjustments to restore the harmony of the relationships between notes.
What do you do to keep your relationships in tune?
The difference between restoration and something that is given up as beyond hope tends to lie in the determination and creativity of the one who would do the repair. Some things really can’t be fixed, but it’s amazing what a combination will and imagination can do.
When have you managed to stick with something until you came up with a creative solution?
“Joanna Macy writes that until we can grieve for our planet we cannot love it—grieving is a sign of spiritual health. But it is not enough to weep for our lost landscapes; we have to put our hands in the earth to make ourselves whole again. Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair.”
― Robin Wall Kimmerer
How do you find joy in caring for the earth?
We speak disparagingly of “a Band-Aid solution” as something that doesn’t really solve an underlying problem. But sometimes what is needed is just a little protective space in which healing can take place.
When has a small solution been just what you needed?
