The Perfect Heart - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

05-18-2002, 04:18 PM

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 heart.

smoke gets in my eyes · 05-18-2002, 04:25 PM

That's a winner, Morning Glory!

Debbie · 05-18-2002, 05:48 PM

Oh my gosh, that was awesome. It made me cry!!

Rose56 · 05-18-2002, 06:14 PM

Thanks, this is wonderful.

05-18-2002, 06:24 PM

You all have beautiful hearts. You are rare and truely wonderful.

Princess · 05-18-2002, 08:01 PM

Thanks for sharing that. It was very touching. I've been reading some of the posts on this site and they are very heartwarming. Some are silly, lol but I guess that's part of it. I'm glad I found this site.
P.S. It took me a while to comprehend the "ducks" but I LOL when I finally got it!

**Ann** · 07-04-2002, 07:44 PM

Moved this beautiful piece from Al-anon for MG - Yeahh it worked.

What a lovely story.

Thanks MG!!!

Debbie · 07-04-2002, 07:48 PM

This is beautiful, I am going to sticky it

Juls · 07-07-2002, 04:25 AM

MG,

Thank you dor that. Great art too.

Barbie, I'm a niteowl, and you must be an early riser.

juls

Paulie · 07-08-2002, 11:14 AM

Another great one!!!1

Jerry · 07-09-2002, 10:17 PM

Thanks for posting this Morning Glory. It's taken me a very long time to accept my flaws and imperfections and let others in to get to know me. Still isn't easy for me, but we get better. Thanks again.

babysteps · 11-11-2002, 09:03 PM

I saw my dad so clearly in this one, I had to email it to my sister so she could print it out and share it with him. We've all given him a lot of gray hairs, a lot of heartache...

hopper · 12-10-2002, 06:19 PM

Truly the most beautiful story I've ever read. Thank you for posting this.

RedAPBT · 12-10-2002, 07:12 PM

MG -

I read it on the AlAnon board - but could not stop crying to tell you thanks for posting -

Thanks!

DolphinBlue · 12-31-2002, 07:47 PM

...thanks for sharing Morning Glory

Love

DolphinBlue

nancygrew2 · 02-04-2003, 11:40 PM

Wonderful story! Thank you so much. Its interesting that when we sometimes feel empty, we can be filled up by reading an inspirational piece like this.

nancygrew2

stillababy · 02-12-2003, 10:00 AM

Beautiful!!!! I needed a good cry!!!!

SkyIsFalling42 · 05-26-2003, 11:25 AM

...thank you morning glory

Love in Spirit
Sky

StillInTheDumps · 05-28-2003, 12:38 PM

Thanks, MorningGlory,

That was great, I had to email a copy to my parents.

Hey MorningGlory, do you know why my MorningGlories are not growing in my garden ? LOL

I guess they are waiting for warmer weather (and a little sun).

05-18-2002, 04:18 PM	#1 (permalink)
Morning Glory Guest Posts: n/a	The Perfect Heart 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 heart. Last edited by Debbie; 03-08-2003 at 10:30 AM.

05-18-2002, 04:25 PM	#2 (permalink)
smoke gets in my eyes Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: That's what I'd like to know. Posts: 2,421	That's a winner, Morning Glory! __________________ It is better to have loved and lost than to live with a psycho for the rest of your life. 21st century proverb

07-04-2002, 07:44 PM	#7 (permalink)
Ann Forum Leader Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: By The Lake Posts: 25,173	Moved this beautiful piece from Al-anon for MG - Yeahh it worked. What a lovely story. Thanks MG!!! __________________ “Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” ~Winnie the Pooh~

07-08-2002, 11:14 AM	#10 (permalink)
Paulie It is what it is!!! Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Sobriety Posts: 5,785	Another great one!!!1 __________________ I know more about how to live than I did yesterday, but not as much as I'll know tomorrow. Today, Ill learn something new~JFT, 1/27/06 The difference between a good day and a bad day, is about 2 days~Ann of SR

11-11-2002, 09:03 PM	#12 (permalink)
babysteps Paused Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Wyandotte, Mi Posts: 43	Dad I saw my dad so clearly in this one, I had to email it to my sister so she could print it out and share it with him. We've all given him a lot of gray hairs, a lot of heartache...

05-18-2002, 05:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
Debbie I used to work here ;) Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: I live in Trevose, PA & collect Barbies :) Posts: 2,016	Oh my gosh, that was awesome. It made me cry!!

05-18-2002, 06:14 PM	#4 (permalink)
Rose56 Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Raleigh, NC (Jersey Girl transplant) Posts: 676	Thanks, this is wonderful.

05-18-2002, 06:24 PM	#5 (permalink)
Morning Glory Guest Posts: n/a	You all have beautiful hearts. You are rare and truely wonderful.

05-18-2002, 08:01 PM	#6 (permalink)
Princess Paused Join Date: May 2002 Location: TN Posts: 10	Thanks for sharing that. It was very touching. I've been reading some of the posts on this site and they are very heartwarming. Some are silly, lol but I guess that's part of it. I'm glad I found this site. P.S. It took me a while to comprehend the "ducks" but I LOL when I finally got it!

07-04-2002, 07:48 PM	#8 (permalink)
Debbie I used to work here ;) Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: I live in Trevose, PA & collect Barbies :) Posts: 2,016	This is beautiful, I am going to sticky it

07-07-2002, 04:25 AM	#9 (permalink)
Juls Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: California, USA Posts: 1,095	MG, Thank you dor that. Great art too. Barbie, I'm a niteowl, and you must be an early riser. juls

07-09-2002, 10:17 PM	#11 (permalink)
Jerry Paused Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: CA Posts: 25	Thanks for posting this Morning Glory. It's taken me a very long time to accept my flaws and imperfections and let others in to get to know me. Still isn't easy for me, but we get better. Thanks again.

12-10-2002, 06:19 PM	#13 (permalink)
hopper Paused Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 15	The Perfect Heart Truly the most beautiful story I've ever read. Thank you for posting this.

12-10-2002, 07:12 PM	#14 (permalink)
RedAPBT Paused Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 58	MG - I read it on the AlAnon board - but could not stop crying to tell you thanks for posting - Thanks!

12-31-2002, 07:47 PM	#15 (permalink)
DolphinBlue Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 612	So glad I found this... ...thanks for sharing Morning Glory Love DolphinBlue

05-26-2003, 11:25 AM	#18 (permalink)
SkyIsFalling42 Big kitty nose hugs Join Date: May 2003 Location: Center of The World Posts: 1,261	...thank you morning glory Love in Spirit Sky __________________ Love In Spirit, Sky Where my heart is....... http://Writing.Com/authors/skyisfalling02 "Never Give In, Never Give In, Never Give In, Never, Never, Never." ~~Sir Winston Churchill~~

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02-04-2003, 11:40 PM	#16 (permalink)
nancygrew2 Paused Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Whitby, ON, Canada Posts: 8	The Perfect Heart Wonderful story! Thank you so much. Its interesting that when we sometimes feel empty, we can be filled up by reading an inspirational piece like this. nancygrew2

02-12-2003, 10:00 AM	#17 (permalink)
stillababy Paused Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Jonesbourough,Tn Posts: 3	Beautiful!!!! I needed a good cry!!!!

05-28-2003, 12:38 PM	#19 (permalink)
StillInTheDumps Paused Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: The Thin Ice Posts: 96	Thanks, MorningGlory, That was great, I had to email a copy to my parents. Hey MorningGlory, do you know why my MorningGlories are not growing in my garden ? LOL I guess they are waiting for warmer weather (and a little sun).

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