Mending our holiday hearts

And a recipe for a cheery Christmas punch to toast the holidays

Do you know kintsugi?

It’s the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold. The notion of embracing flaws and imperfections is really rather wonderful. The gold not only creates a more beautiful piece; it’s also stronger and more resilient. Out of sorrow comes joy and new beauty.

I think our broken holiday hearts need a little kintsugi right now.

Letting sadness shine through

With Christmas just days away, many of us will be celebrating a different kind of holiday this year. News of rising Covid cases, restrictions, limited travel, lack of boosters and most of all, not being able to be with family, again - it’s enough to make you want to throw a plate against the wall. But rather than sweeping up the mess and crying, it may be time to start mending the pieces and in the process, make ourselves stronger.

Part of the philosophy of kintsugi is that the breakage - and repair - are part of the history of an object. The shimmering lines of gold that now bind the piece together tell their own tale, an indelible and important part of the object’s history.

And just as the “golden joinery” of kintsugi have a story to tell, so do our own lines, whether lines created through laugher or sorrow. The human heart has the capacity to be full of contradictions. That is its inherent beauty and the special messiness of being human.

Being glad in the face of sadness

Have you ever laughed and cried at the same time? The hicuppy, silly and ultimately happy stew of emotions that prompts both laughter and tears is hard to define, harder still to conjure up exactly. I think that’s because there’s an art to feeling both things at once - and like a little-used skill, it catches us by surprise every time.

Look. I know that this week will be hard for a lot of us. Hopeful plans made are being changed in an instant. The Christmas dinner with dear friends on hold, Covid quarantine pending. Hugs longed for delayed.

But we can - and should - still make merry, whether with a twosome or a few more. Our hearts will miss those who are not with us, but through the miracle of technology, they can be virtually beside us. FaceTime indeed.

And those lines of sadness should be carefully drawn, in bright gold, not forgotten, but honoured, acknowledged and lovingly traced, an indelible part of our history, making us stronger, more resilient and more beautiful.

Cranberry lime Christmas Eve punch

from Anne Lindsey’s Light Kitchen

Makes two dozen 1 cup servings

The ghost of Christmas Past and Christmas Future both know this punch well. In days gone by, this punch held place of honour at our annual holiday open house. Distinctive because of the ginger beer, a perfect non-alcoholic sipper that’s great for kids and adults alike, it also goes very nicely with a generous splash of Prosecco (or vodka if you need additional reinforcement).

While you may not be hosting a crowd this year, know that this is easily made into a much smaller pitcher by dividing the quantities by three. And for a little holiday cheer, this is just the tipple to laugh and cry with.

64 ounces (1.8 litre) cranberry cocktail juice

2 cups frozen limeade concentrate

2 cups pineapple juice

3 x 10 ounce (300 mL) bottles ginger beer or ginger ale, chilled

2 x 750 mL bottles soda water, chilled

Ice

Fresh or frozen cranberries to finish

In a large punch bowl, combine cranberry cocktail juice, limeade concentrate, pineapple juice and ginger beer up to two hours before serving. When ready to serve, add soda water and ice. Toss in a handful of fresh or frozen cranberries for a pretty finish.