Day two of the writing challenge is the word broken. This word can take several paths for me. Broken things, broken lives, and broken people are all facets of life that I can easily relate to and gravitate to in my heart and mind.
bro·ken ~ having been fractured or damaged and no longer in one piece or in working order
Speaking from a perfectionist point of view or maybe a semi-recovered perfectionist or maybe I live in the illusion that I’m not a perfectionist. It could be one or all of those, I am certain. Whichever one it is, it doesn’t matter when something gets broken, especially something that holds a special place in my life, it can be a time of grieving. It’s a loss. It’s a loss because that item held memories and when it’s broken that does something to the wholeness of the memory. As the keeper of the item, I feel a responsibility to take care of it. Allowing it to break means I must have been a poor custodian of the treasure.
This is exactly how I have felt about and dealt with two items that were given to me by my grandma. One is a beautiful crystal bowl she essentially chose for me to have and another was a mixing bowl that I used when I made her recipes. Having those two pieces broken through our many moves over the last several years broke a little piece of my heart. I felt as though I did not honor my grandma because I didn’t keep those items safe. Things in life will break and it’s real to grieve for them because it is a loss.
Broken lives are lived by people all around us. People move around trying to cope with brokenness but are unaware or unable to put things back in order and overcome the brokenness. It’s hard to live in brokenness it is more an existence than living. Remember
Broken people are everywhere too. In my community, we have a large homeless population. Many of them live in the brokenness of their life and relationships. I heard it said once that every homeless person is there because of some broken relationship that has gone unaddressed and unmended. Broken relationships bring alienation. Being alienated and alone in this world is the perfect way to travel a road that leads to disaster. Humpty Dumpty? Broken and couldn’t be put back together. It might not be exactly the same for humans, but brokenness does exist around us or in us.
To me, whenever I see broken and brokenness it is a reminder of a loss, pain, and the opportunity to reconcile and heal.
Blessings to you ~ Carrie
Linking up with Anita Ojeda.
jodie says
I love reading a perspective on a word like this. Especially a word like broken which seems so negative. Yet I also think it can be good, if we’ve broken out of a bad relationship or something that isn’t the right fit for us. I guess that’s the Pollyanna in me coming out,
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Carrie says
I like the Pollyanna in you, Jodie! xoxo
Lisa says
Wonderful reflections on the one word – broken.
Thank you for sharing your ponders!
Carrie says
Thank you! I enjoy these prompts which allow me the opportunity to put my thoughts down in writing.
Paula Short says
Carrie, what a great message. I so appreciate your words today.
Visiting today from #Write28Days