Kintsugi

These remarks were shared at the Mt. Hood Climb Observance Day Ceremony on May 14, 2025.

Image below is “Timeless Magic,” 2023 Taisho era (1912 -1926). Black Raku ware, Urushi lacquer, 24K gold, and resin. Photo by Naoko Fukumaru.

Today we remember a moment that altered the landscape of OES. Thirty-nine years ago, this community experienced a profound brokenness with the tragic loss of nine lives on Mt. Hood.

This past fall, while visiting the beauty of the Portland Japanese Garden, I encountered an exhibit on kintsugi, the ancient art of repairing shattered pottery with gold-laced lacquer. Imagine the delicate work, each fragment carefully gathered, the cracks not hidden but highlighted by a precious metal. This art form embraces imperfection and it resonated deeply with me, a powerful metaphor for our journey since that devastating day.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, our community felt the pain of deep loss. Slowly, painstakingly, like the kintsugi artist, this school began to piece itself back together. We didn't consign that moment to the shadows of forgotten history. Instead, each year, we re-member, we actively gather the fragments of our history, and we witness the strength of the love and community that binds us. The lacquer that held us together was, and continues to be, the unwavering support we offer one another, the shared commitment to learning and growth, the active engagement within our school and the wider Portland community. We lamented, we learned, and we chose love as our binding force.

We hold in our hearts the memory of nine precious lives. And yet, it is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit that even from such wrenching sorrow, glimmers of gold emerged. That tragedy produced innovation, leading to significant advancements in mountaineering safety and rescue techniques. It spurred critical progress in the medical treatment of severe hypothermia. It compelled schools across the nation to re-evaluate and strengthen their risk management protocols for outdoor programs. While nine lives were lost, the lessons forged in that crucible have undoubtedly contributed to saving countless others in the decades since. That is the gold shining brightly from the cracks of our brokenness.

Since 1986, OES has, in its own way, practiced the art of kintsugi with this pivotal moment in our history. We have picked up the shattered pieces and, through the enduring strength of our community, reassembled ourselves, bearing witness to both the fragility and the fortitude of the human spirit. The truth is, none of us will navigate life untouched by brokenness; it is an inherent part of the human condition. But the story of our collective response to the Mt. Hood tragedy offers a profound lesson: how to confront shattering loss, how to gather the fragments, how to allow love to be the unifying force, and how to live in a way that allows that love to shine, like gold illuminating the repaired seams of our history.

This is the enduring truth of our story. This is why we gather each year. It is what has forged the community of OES today. This is how we remember, how we honor, how we keep alive the precious memory of those we lost that day. For in the end, as is always true when we lose someone we love, the love of the ones we lost lives on in the ones who love, glistening like gold within the fabric of our being. Nine individuals did not have the chance to fully realize the extraordinary power for good that we hope for every student who walks through the doors of OES. Our sacred obligation, as a school and as a community, is to live and love and learn together in a way that not only unlocks the power for good within each of us but also allows the unrealized potential of those we lost to shine through our actions. That is a golden love that continues to hold the shattered pieces of our history together, allowing their light to illuminate our way forward.