I’ve been thinking about fragmentation and wondered about ways to integrate and soften the shard-like jagged slicing feelings that pierce us daily. The vision that came to me was of a glassblower I saw as a child on the island of Murano near Venice, Italy. Through heating the glass to just the right temperature, and blowing smoothly, the most extraordinary creations emerged from the man’s mouth, hands, and careful eye. Integrating heat, color, and intention seems the magic of integrating ourselves: What is your heat or passion? How will you color it? What is it that you want to create? Blow smoothly and mindfully into your life and see the shards of suffering melt together into exquisiteness and beauty—even those parts of yourself that you thought were hopelessly irretrievable.
