Matters of the Heart

A week or so ago I was reminded of the fragility of the human heart when I was called to check on my husband’s aunt who wasn’t feeling well.  As I rushed to her house, I asked for strength to take care of whatever I might find when I arrived.

After listening to her describe several heart attack symptoms, I called 911.  The paramedics decided to take her to the hospital where they were able to determine that she did not have a heart attack, but the symptoms were a precursor to one and a warning.

Been there before more than once.  Memories of my husband have flooded my mind in the last week or so.  If only….

That day my husband had an explosion in his heart, but it destroyed mine. 

We know how to take care of our hearts physically through diet and exercise, but how do we keep them from being broken?

Some of us steel our hearts and lock them tight against future pain, but is it enough?  As song-writer Leonard Cohen says so brilliantly in his song Anthem, “There is a crack, a crack in everything.  That’s how the light gets in.”  So no matter how hard we try to protect our emotional hearts, it’s impossible.  So when you’re down and your heart feels darker than you have ever known, remember there is always a crack to let the light in.  I suspect that the crack also lets a bit of black in as well, and these are moments of great pain, but also of great inspiration.  Be not afraid, for if you listen to your heart, you will find the light once again.