There are times when life cracks our hearts open.

There are times when we experience the unexpected, the unthinkable, the tragic. We experience shock and loss and grief. There are times when we feel that we cannot possibly survive our excruciating heartache.

We are all human after all.

There is not one person on earth who has not suffered heartbreak. During these times, even the smallest shred of hope is a solace.

During these times, when we are at our weakest, we may find ourselves seeking those who hold light and strength when we feel that we cannot.

We seek them when we feel that our hearts cannot survive being broken.

We seek them when we feel that we cannot possibly go on.

We seek those who hold the light and we find comfort.

They are there for us when we cannot find our own hope or our own strength.

Sometimes just knowing that someone is there for us is enough.

They do not need to do or say anything.

Simply being there for another during these times is one of the most beautiful gifts one human being can give to another.

Those who are there for us have had their hearts cracked open before.

They are human too. They have lived through their own losses and their own grief. They have learned compassion. They show us that we do survive and we do go on. They are proof that the human heart is resilient and is capable of more love .

This may be one of the most remarkable gifts of a broken heart, that we can find the deepest connection with others when we are there for each other in times of grief.

Our broken hearts hold the possibility of experiencing the deepest compassion from others.

In our darkest times we may find the strongest connection to other human beings. We may find the most light in our friends who show us that the human heart is greater than any suffering that we may experience.

We may be shown without words, through compassion, that our hearts are resilient and it is possible to move forward in our lives with more wisdom and more strength.

The fact that we can be there for each other helps us realize that our hearts are strong. Our hearts do endure and are capable of more love than ever before.

We realize that our hearts are not small.

We realize that our hearts have an infinite capacity for love.

And whether it is spoken or unspoken, this is what we must know.

Your Heart Is Not Small

Your heart is not small
you must know that
it is expansive and grand
and there is nothing
that can forever break
its indestructible force
and there is no pain
that it cannot withstand

Your heart is not small
you must know that
it can shine with a brilliance
that is brighter than the sun
and its radiant
and luminous light
can reach far beyond
this universe
if you will only let it

Your heart is not small
you must know that
it is more powerful
than any suffering or pain
or any sorrow or heartbreak
that your life may bring
it only makes an opening
larger and wider
for more love to pour in

Your heart is not small
you must know that
it has no fear at all
of the bitter weeping
that it needs to wash
itself clean again
and to free itself
from all of the pain
that you tried to contain

Your heart is not small
you must know that
it was made to take
the deluge of tears
as you cry inconsolably
while shaking with fear
long into your dark night
and the tears that are shed
in the harshest daylight

Your heart is not small
you must know that
it loves deeper and vaster
than your imagination
lets you dream past
so know that your heart
may suffer or ache
but your resilient heart
can never forever break

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Author: Michele Collier

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: flickr