We are all such complex beings who have been through a lot in our own rights. Are you willing to hold the heart of another? Truly? Are you willing to set aside your own needs and wants to help heal and grow the heart of someone else? It’s a big ask. Huge. You know, there’s a saying that those who have experienced tremendous pain often have the most compassionate hearts. Do you believe that to be true? I think I agree to some extent… But we’ve all been through something. There’s not a one of us who gets through this life without facing some sort of adversity. It is all relative. And let’s be real….parents hold the hearts of their children daily. We walk this fine line of trying to nurture and protect while also giving them the tools to fly. We want to shield them from heartbreak and disappointment, yet we also know that these things are inevitable. Is the best thing we can do to watch our children struggle? To not always be able to fix it for them? That’s a heartbreak like you’ve never known until you’re a parent. To watch your child struggle or fail to meet what we see as their potential is incredibly difficult. Doesn’t it ultimately help them learn to then hold the heart of another later in life? I think so. They have to look at the world beyond themselves….that sometimes the needs of another are more important than their own wants in that moment. Here I sit at 48 years old and I wonder if anyone is truly prepared to hold my heart. I hold a lot of insecurity and it wasn’t always that way. I trust fully, though I understand that contradicts being insecure. That’s the kicker….it takes one moment to destroy trust. People all around ask how I didn’t see what was right in front of me. I guess it’s because I have always been secure and trusting. Now, I pause. It’s sad, but is it a bad thing to want to protect my heart? To want someone to hold it as though it were liquid gold? I suppose I could apologize for feeling insecure and needing reassurance from all around me. But, it’s part of what makes me who I am. I want to believe in the best in people, yet I’ve experienced the worst in some. Taking the time to actually invest in me through friendship, and relationships, takes a strong and willing person. I’m not easy and I know that. I don’t pretend. I can be intense. But I’m also someone who will be there through thick and thin. I don’t scare easily. I’ve learned resilience and I know the power of giving of my heart. More than that, I’m willing to hold yours! Are you willing to hold mine?