the heart

The heart is a strange beast.

It can be so frail and tender and fragile. Sometimes all you want to do is wrap it in layers and layers so as to protect it from all the harm it may encounter. Sometimes you just want to stow it away in some little corner, not allowing anyone to see it, for fear someone will see you and your vulnerabilities. Sometimes you simply want to pretend it is not in there, and so you drown out every little thing it is telling you.

And sometimes it does get hurt, and you are devastated and you cannot eat or sleep or think normally any longer. You feel raw and ripped. Sometimes you are crushed. Sometimes someone does see your vulnerabilities and acts carelessly with your heart.

But the heart is resilient. Eventually you do get through the hurt. No, you will not be the same person you were before. And no, you will never forget the pain you felt when it all fell to pieces. But you will have brighter days. You will see the sun again, and you will smile.  You will love.

And the heart is courageous. It can make you do and say things you never even thought were possible. It can allow you to feel in a way you have never felt before and care to a depth that you have yet to explore. It shows you the things and the people you value most, and gives you the strength to express that. When expressing those thoughts, you will feel like your chest is open, and your heart is sitting there on display, waiting again to be hurt.

Yet, when you least expect it (and maybe when you most need it), someone will come in and see that heart of yours exposed and treasure it and protect it better than you could yourself. And then you will realize it was all worth the while.

It may not be the same sort of love you have experienced before. And this is alright. It can be a friend, a parent, a significant other. Just the knowledge that your heart is ready and able to open itself to the love of another is enough to give you the courage to get up and face the day each morning.

That little heart inside of you can change everything.

all my love,
HAD