My favorite mug is one that I purchased probably 20 years ago. It has painted elephants all around the outside with decorative details on the handle. I’ve always loved elephants and objects that look like they come from the other side of the world. It’s no surprise that eventually this mug wore out, like all things do. It cracked down the entire side, leaking any liquid it held. Not ideal for a mug.
I tried to use it for other things–holding pens, a toothbrush holder. But it wasn’t ever the same. I wanted my favorite mug back. It fit perfectly in my hand, it held just the right amount of tea, and the design brought me joy every morning I used it. But how do you fix something that is so deeply broken?
I think about this a lot–mending broken things.