Heart to Heart

Hello Hatters,

Happy Valentine’s Day. I know I’m early but remember, I’m a planner. I’m sending you virtual chocolates and flowers as I write just now. Close your eyes and receive my virtual gifts with your imagination in full swing. In the meantime, I send my heart out to each of you in your different circumstances.

I wanted to share some thoughts about the heart and how it can burst into fireworks one minute, yet feel the burn and the smoke the next! Yep, welcome to the human experience. Our hearts hold our dearest feelings, our deepest wounds, and the happiest of moments. For me, they are not in neat little chambers. The feelings, wounds and moments are intertwined. We are such complicated beings.

When the world comes at my heart, it is so easy to either retreat or lash back out. While those choices had been my default responses in the past, I am making conscious efforts to pause, reflect and carefully decide how to respond. I have felt a calmness in my being. I like it.

My mom used to tell me that I wore my feelings on my sleeve. (You got it! Both sleeves, down the front, down the back and in the middle!) Now that I’m older, some reactions are just not worth my emotional energy and so my sleeves are in pretty good shape. That in turn, makes my heart healthier.

Picture with me the fireworks again. Without the initial fire, you’d have no show. Without the show, there’d be no remaining smoke. Just like all things in a fireworks show are connected, so too are the contents of my heart. One thing touches many.

If, and it is a big, little word... If we could realize that each of us are tender in different ways, and if we could realize that our action towards others affects their whole being, would we redirect our actions or rephrase our words? I like the wisdom of The Bible: Treat others the way you want to be treated.

As usual, I’ve gone walk-about as it relates to the heart. And why shouldn’t I? So much emphasis is put on Valentine’s Day. I believe we’d be better off treating each other with kindness and respect than candy and flowers. If you’re without a Valentine, just know that I’m sending my usual hugzzzzzz just for you. Today my hat is full of kindness and respect. For good measure, I’ll throw in the candy, the flowers, a heart full of fireworks and the MT hugzzzz!