Happy Love Day...

Tue Feb 14 2012

The last two days have been an interesting observation of the people around me. With Valentine’s Day approaching like a hurricane, I went to Whole Foods for my daily juice at their juice bar, only to watch as men scurried around with roses and chocolates in their carts or hands ...like stocking up on food and water for an incoming storm. 

 

I smiled as I watched women walk in the door, which just happens to be right where the flowers are, only to see their eyes light up and an instant smile appear on their faces. Roses everywhere. Balloons saying I love you and be my valentine...everywhere. Heart shaped candy boxes and a whole section of cards with red envelopes...

 

I went to visit my sister and as I sat talking with her my nephew came running in with a painted red-clay heart he had made in school for my sister. It hung by a red ribbon and on the back he had carved, “Love, Lucas 2012”. I told him how beautiful it was and listened as my sister told him to be very careful taking it back to the bedroom, which was where she planned to hang it up. I watched him begin to skip off and he didn’t make it three steps before I watched what seemed like a slow motion play by play of him tripping over his feet, losing his grip on the red ribbon, and the clay heart smashing on the hardwood floors.

 

His poor face...and my sister’s poor face. She held back tears and he looked up shocked. I jumped to my feet and went over to the mess, only to see it had shattered into at least 20-30 small pieces. I began to gather them up and asked my nephew to find me some glue. My sister immediately, out of frustration, said, “There is no way it can be fixed. Don’t waste the time.” I didn’t say anything and continued to gather pieces, thinking to myself she probably was right. But there was no way I wasn’t going to at least try. My nephew came running back with glue and he said, “ Aunt Amy...you can’t fix that. It can’t be fixed.” I stopped what I was doing and looked up at him and straight into his eyes and said, “Lucas, there is absolutely nothing in life that can’t be fixed. It may never be the same, but it can be fixed.” 

For the next hour I sat frustrated, trying to put these tiny pieces together like a puzzle. I zoned out my sister saying to not worry about it and my nephew continuing to say it couldn’t be put back together again...and I began to wonder why I was so determined.

Part of it, yes, was because of both of their faces when it broke and how I wanted to fix that. But a bigger part of me felt like that broken heart in front of me on the hard wood floor was my heart. And my sister’s heart. And my friend’s hearts. And my parent’s hearts...every person I have ever loved...that had ever hurt...whose heart had been broken at some point. I had to fix it. I had to prove it could be put back together again. I had to see it, tangibly in front of me. That no, it wasn’t going to ever be the same...perfectly pristine heart. It was going to have cracks and chips and not quite perfect fits of pieces put back together again, but it was going to be a whole heart again. If it took me all night.

 

The picture attached to this post is the end result. 

 

And it made me think. How many of us take the pieces... sit and take the time...the intricate, redundant, painstaking time to put our hearts back together again? How many of us wait for that person who broke it, or someone else to do the work and put us back together again? 

 

Any heart can mend. It takes time. And it takes knowing that nothing is ever truly lost...if you believe. People may leave, turn their backs, choose not to love you, leave this earth, never give a reason why their gone...and it yes, it hurts like hell. It truly does...

 

On this Valentine’s Day...remember this. There is nothing in life that stays broken, if you try and put it back together again. If you can just accept it for its imperfection...the way it has changed...that you will never have back the way it was...and that it is ok...just as it is. 

 

Happy Love Day.

Comments

• I have always believed we have to go with our hearts, instead of our brains. Logic say to grab a broom, the heart says to grab some glue. Nice job on working towards making everything better:)

  RHM 2 months ago flg

• I think there was dust in the air cause I had to rub my eye for a second... ;-) It's in our nature to repair and yet(you're right) it's never the same, but some imperfections are acceptable. Then there are those times, when we can't accept, only to have someone else come in...to try their luck with the repair. Great stuff

  Sam 3 months ago flg

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