Matters of the Heart

There are a great many phrases that relate to the heart, and how simple, yet extremely complex it truly is, it is fragile, and prone to yearning for things it really doesn't need at all. It can be tricked, broken, pieced back together, and it can swell in your chest to the degree that you can feel your emotions physically. And despite all attempts to lock it away, to keep it protected in a fortress, and to save it from inevitable heartache, we still trip and fall into traps that seem set up specifically to ensnare our hearts and push us further into ourselves, two afraid to open up. I know my hearts been trampled on many times, but still it beats on, and it swells during the days I feel loved, or just days that compassion seems to overpower me. Today I received two lovely, and unexpected hugs. I was told that I'm beautiful, for the first time in a very long time, and was called an affectionate nickname I had nearly forgotten all about: Eckybear (a nickname which I shall explain a little later on). So just over the course of a Friday, my heart has swollen to the point that I can feel it beating against my chest, and spilling out of my eyes, down my cheeks. And I began to think about the phrases that deal with the heart, and evaluated them based on my own personal experience. 

• "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." 

This phrase makes sense to me, although I feel it may be a bit inaccurate. Through absence of a certain someone, the imagination can overpower your heart, which, although it knows the truth, gets so caught up in the romanticized version your imagination pours forth, that it forgets to reject your ridiculous ideas. And during this weakness the imagination glorifies the absent party, into a beautiful and delightful figment. Thus making the heart "grow fonder."

• "Follow your heart." 

Oh what a simple, yet complex phrase. I tend to relate these particular words to passion, and drive, to become something better, and to reach goals that seem beyond the bounds of reality. If you have a love for something, in my case art, go after it, with all you've got. 




But I don't its always a good idea relating to relationships, so as a follow up quote from Fireproof:

• "And don't just follow your heart, man; 'cause your heart can be deceived. But you gotta lead your heart" 

There we go! How easy is it to give in, to forget all you know, and just go with it? How easy is it to throw wisdom out the window, just to feel a moment of love, or a small dose of admiration? And in the process, throw away the chance for long term love because of a simple lack of patience. I'm a high school student. I see this everyday, and my heartaches for the girls who throw away their futures just to feel appreciated and cared for, for just a small amount of time.

Stress can take a toll on the heart as well, and just a few kind words can make all the difference. That's how I felt today, so stressed out, and so overwhelmed with everything life has been throwing at me. and those few kind words, as well as some wonderful hugs, helped me tremendously. The nickname Eckybear was given to me by a friend of mine named Joe. Joe enjoys Pig Latin, and so a couple of years ago he started calling me EckyBe, and one day it sounded like he called me Eckybear, and it stuck. Its one of the nicknames I actually enjoy, and I'm glad to hear it every now and then.