By Marina Morrison
You may think I’m small but I have a universe inside my head- Yoko Ono
In our Lost and found sessions, we get a glimpse into other universes. Often, our universes align and resonate similar thoughts and experiences. Most wonderfully, I can say that my universe has grown: each new person I meet is a new star dancing around my planets. As I learn more from the new stars I’ve gained, the planets of my universe shift and alter in orbit, changing and growing as I learn, re-learn and gain new perspectives from wise stars.
It does not matter if our connection is brief or extended. They remain a permanent place in my headspace, echoing and reminding me of their teachings in case I have forgotten. Stars can be very vocal, you know. For example, Rudi presented and read aloud his poem, Praise for the Broken during last month’s session. While this was the first time I had met Rudi and the session was exactly one month ago today, I still hear and see him reading it online, and the words Praise for the Broken glimmer in my mind at least weekly.
praise for the broken
by Rudi Krause
let us praise all that is broken:
the cracks and chips,
the gash, the rip,
the buckling sidewalk,
the splintered branch
from last week’s storm,
the missing tooth,
the scar, the limp,
the ingrained stain,
the burn-mark on the counter,
the worn-through cuff,
the failing short-term memory.
let us praise gravity and friction
which let us walk, sprint,
climb, get to where we want to go;
which make us stumble, fall,
chafe our knees, burn our skin;
which let us grasp and hold
and – in the end – be held.
let us praise grace which flows
and finds the lowest place;
which glistens in the cracks,
seeps into broken ground,
turns our discarded scraps
into life-giving, living soil;
which lets us sing the song
when words have slipped away;
which gives us bread
broken for us, wine
from crushed grapes;
which sees and lets us see
and say the “yes” we find
in the uncertain, aching,
troubled “discomfort zone”
that realm where
there is no waste,
where everything belongs.
— 2019 – 01 – 01
Celebrating things that are broken or lost is exactly what we are passionate about in our sessions. With each new monthly theme, newfound objects, treasures and project ideas are presented in the group. Recognizing the beauty in family buttons, scraps of fabric, sticks, glass, receipt paper, plastic lids, cardboard and most anything else our eyes can catch a glimpse of means that the world is full of beauty. When we take a pause and look around with curious eyes, it is most exciting what can be found within our homes and immediate neighbourhoods.
Looking back on this year of intergenerational connection, I am filled with gratitude for all who I have met. It can be challenging to find your group–your tribe. In this group I am able to express myself freely. We are all collectors who celebrate the beauty of what may appear mundane and worn but is just the beginning of something fantastic… a new art project, a useful object for your home, an intricate project to pass the time or give to a loved one. When you can notice this amount of wonder in objects, I believe it seeps into your everyday life and one can see this same amount of amazement in people, too. This is rather exciting, because this means that new stars in our orbit can become quite frequent. In this way, we never stop learning, contributing, wondering and becoming fulfilled by what is around us in our community.
Best wishes for 2021
While our last Lost and Found: Circle of Life session of 2020 is drawing close, I look forward to continued connections with my kindred spirits–wise stars in the new year.
