Our Story

A keepsake that should have reminded me of a race well ran, fell out of my hands and shattered into uncountable pieces.

But, I was also reminded of a concept which I find deeply helpful. When I dropped that glass and picked up the pieces to throw it in the trash, I laughed. The glass was already broken before I ever held it.

"You see this goblet?" asks Achaan Chaa, the Thai meditation master. "For me this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on the shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, 'Of course.' When I understand that the glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious."

Everything on earth is temporary, fragile and finite. We must hold things loosely if we hold them at all. Everything is destined to one day break, including our bodies.

But the more fragile something is the more precious it is. We see this with vases, porcelain, fine china, even our own babies.

When we recognize at any moment something can be taken away, we stop taking that thing for granted and start to treasure it. To treasure it is to enjoy it more.

On the drive home from the race, I began to think about how to remind myself of this concept more regularly. I couldn’t go around dropping pint glasses every day. That would be unsustainable.

Idea that “the glass is already broken” is heavily linked in my mind to the ancient idea of “memento mori.” Remember Death.

That would look cool on a coffee mug, I thought. So that’s what I did.

Then it also hit me. If I would like a thought provoking design on my coffee mug. There must be others that do to.

The mission of The Glass is Already Broken is to create thought provoking, conversation starting glassware that people enjoy looking at.

I have other fun ideas planned, both for new products and for what this brand is all about. Stay tuned for more.

-- Daniel O.S. Polehn (Founder)