"My Jade Bangle Broke, I Replaced it, But it's Not the Same"

I had a special plant I loved, a Christmas cactus given to me by a friend.  I put it in a special pot,  "Winnie the Pooh", and took good care of it to the point of almost being obsessed.

During this past summer the weather was very hot, rainy, and several tropical storms and a hurricane were in the area, so we did our best to protect all of our plants and landscaping.  The cactus stayed in good condition until hurricane Irma.  Even though the Winnie pot is cement and heavy, it got blown away from its corner and flooded, killing every piece of it.  I tried to revive it, put jade pieces in the soil, but it was dead.  Gone for good.

I bought a new one, after searching stores for a similar one. 

It's basically the same kind of plant.  It's too big to fit into the Winnie pot, so I'm not sure what I'm going to put it in.  It's pretty, has red flowers, in very good condition, and one of the more expensive ones.  But it's not the same, and I don't love it...yet.

I get emails around this time of year from people who lost a jade bangle bracelet to breakage, or their hands/wrists changed and the jade bangle they had for a long time didn't fit right anymore.  They are looking for a replacement.  Most of them want a jade bangle bracelet that is similar in appearance, and they spend much time looking, and we spend time discussing the ones they are interested in.  They choose one, can't wait for it to arrive after their purchase, and love it when they receive it, but it's "just not the same".

Like my Christmas cactus, a plant, jade changes over time.  The older jade mined before the turn of the century is somewhat different than the jade available today.  There's nothing "wrong" with it, just different.   And like me, it takes awhile to "connect" with the new and feel as happy with it.  You went through life for years with the old, it has a special connection to you.  But as you wear your new jade, its qi energy and you body qi energy will connect, blend, and it will become part of you.  I need to give my cactus some special attention, cut it to fit the Winnie pot, keep it close by so I can see it often during the day.  Then it will become a part of my life.  And so will your jade.

But:  Buddhist teaching claims that "attachment" is the cause of many problems and unhappiness in our lives. 

We can probably agree with and understand that.   And know that's why that you probably can replace your broken jade bangle bracelet.

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