: A Perfect Heart

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A Perfect Heart

One day a young woman was standing in the middle of the town proclaimingthat she had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowdgathered and they all admired her heart for it was perfect. There was not amark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautifulheart they had ever seen. The young woman was very proud and boasted moreloudly about her beautiful heart.Suddenly, an old woman appeared at the front of the crowd and said Why yourheart is not nearly as beautiful as mine. The crowd and the young womanlooked at the old woman's heart. It was beating strongly, but full ofscars, 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. Infact, in some places there were

deep gouges where whole pieces weremissing. The people stared - how can she say her heart is more beautiful,they thoughtThe young woman looked at the old woman's heart and saw its state andlaughed. You must be joking, she said. Compare your heart with mine, mineis perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears.Yes, said the old woman, Yours is perfect looking but I could never tradewith you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given mylove - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often theygive 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 Icherish, because they remind me of the love we shared.Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn'treturned a piece of their heart to me. These are the empty gouges - givinglove 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 somedaythey may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see whattrue beauty is.The young woman stood silently with tears running down hers cheeks. Shewalked up to the old woman, reached into her perfect young and beautifulheart, and ripped a piece out. She offered it to the old woman withtrembling hands. The old woman took her offering, placed it in her heartand then took a piece from her old, scarred heart and placed it in thewound in the young woman's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there weresome jagged edges.The young woman looked at her heart, not perfect anymore but more beautifulthan ever, since love from the old woman's heart flowed into hers. Theyembraced and walked away side by side.Love cannot be wasted. It makes no difference where

it is bestowed, italways brings in big returns!