Thursday, September 17, 2009
THE PERFECT HEART
THE PERFECT HEART
Author Unknown
September 17, 2009
One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming
that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large
crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect.
There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly
was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was
very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.
Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said "Why
your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the
young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but
full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other
pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several
jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where
whole pieces were missing.
The people stared - how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they
thought? The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state
and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with
mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears."
"Yes," said the old man, "Yours is perfect looking but I would never
trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have
given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them,
and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the
empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have
some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love
we shared. Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the
other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the
empty gouges -- giving love is taking a chance.
Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the
love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return
and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty
is?"
The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He
walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful
heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with
trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart
and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the
wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there
were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect
anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's
heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side.
How sad it must be to go through life with a whole untouched heart.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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claim to own any copyright privileges on it. All the messages are
believed to be free for circulation or public domain. All messages come
in either by email in original form or copied from the internet sites.
The work was submitted to us as an item for distribution, and it was
posted solely on the basis of its quality.
� 2009 FoodForThought
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Author Unknown
September 17, 2009
One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming
that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large
crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect.
There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly
was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was
very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.
Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said "Why
your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the
young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but
full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other
pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several
jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where
whole pieces were missing.
The people stared - how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they
thought? The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state
and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with
mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears."
"Yes," said the old man, "Yours is perfect looking but I would never
trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have
given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them,
and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the
empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have
some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love
we shared. Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the
other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the
empty gouges -- giving love is taking a chance.
Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the
love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return
and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty
is?"
The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He
walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful
heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with
trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart
and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the
wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there
were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect
anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's
heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side.
How sad it must be to go through life with a whole untouched heart.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Join our group on Facebook and post your comments on the reflection: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=142903436398
Webpage: http://www.dailyfoodforthought.org/
Group Address: http://groups.google.com/group/dailyfoodforthought
GROUP CONTACT:
To subscribe from this group, share a reflection or feedback
on the reflection of the day, send email to: foodforthought2@earthlink.net
To unsubscribe : dailyfoodforthought-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
DISCLAIMER: FoodForThought shared this message as submitted and do not
claim to own any copyright privileges on it. All the messages are
believed to be free for circulation or public domain. All messages come
in either by email in original form or copied from the internet sites.
The work was submitted to us as an item for distribution, and it was
posted solely on the basis of its quality.
� 2009 FoodForThought
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
THE PERFECT HEART
THE PERFECT HEART
Author Unknown
September 17, 2009
One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming
that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large
crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect.
There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly
was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was
very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.
Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said "Why
your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the
young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but
full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other
pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several
jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where
whole pieces were missing.
The people stared - how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they
thought? The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state
and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with
mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears."
"Yes," said the old man, "Yours is perfect looking but I would never
trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have
given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them,
and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the
empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have
some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love
we shared. Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the
other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the
empty gouges -- giving love is taking a chance.
Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the
love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return
and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty
is?"
The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He
walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful
heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with
trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart
and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the
wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there
were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect
anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's
heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side.
How sad it must be to go through life with a whole untouched heart.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Join our group on Facebook and post your comments on the reflection: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=142903436398
Webpage: http://www.dailyfoodforthought.org/
Group Address: http://groups.google.com/group/dailyfoodforthought
GROUP CONTACT:
To subscribe from this group, share a reflection or feedback
on the reflection of the day, send email to: foodforthought2@earthlink.net
To unsubscribe : dailyfoodforthought-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
DISCLAIMER: FoodForThought shared this message as submitted and do not
claim to own any copyright privileges on it. All the messages are
believed to be free for circulation or public domain. All messages come
in either by email in original form or copied from the internet sites.
The work was submitted to us as an item for distribution, and it was
posted solely on the basis of its quality.
� 2009 FoodForThought
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Author Unknown
September 17, 2009
One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming
that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large
crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect.
There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly
was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was
very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.
Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said "Why
your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the
young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but
full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other
pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several
jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where
whole pieces were missing.
The people stared - how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they
thought? The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state
and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with
mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears."
"Yes," said the old man, "Yours is perfect looking but I would never
trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have
given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them,
and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the
empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have
some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love
we shared. Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the
other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the
empty gouges -- giving love is taking a chance.
Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the
love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return
and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty
is?"
The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He
walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful
heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with
trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart
and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the
wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there
were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect
anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's
heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side.
How sad it must be to go through life with a whole untouched heart.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Join our group on Facebook and post your comments on the reflection: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=142903436398
Webpage: http://www.dailyfoodforthought.org/
Group Address: http://groups.google.com/group/dailyfoodforthought
GROUP CONTACT:
To subscribe from this group, share a reflection or feedback
on the reflection of the day, send email to: foodforthought2@earthlink.net
To unsubscribe : dailyfoodforthought-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
DISCLAIMER: FoodForThought shared this message as submitted and do not
claim to own any copyright privileges on it. All the messages are
believed to be free for circulation or public domain. All messages come
in either by email in original form or copied from the internet sites.
The work was submitted to us as an item for distribution, and it was
posted solely on the basis of its quality.
� 2009 FoodForThought
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
