My mom has the biggest heart in the world. This is the ultimate gift as it leads her to care and love so deeply. However, it can cause heartache when people abuse the love she so freely and without question gives to those she adores.
She says that she got it from her mother and that it sometimes seemed to lead my Mimi down dark paths when people abused her love or took advantage of the thought that she put into everything. However, my Mimi told my mom that she would never trade in her heart for the world. She told my mom that although having a big heart was painful at times, it was a special and unique trait that my mom was blessed with. My Mimi said my mom would have to learn how to live with her big heart in a way in which she would put it to good use and would not let others abuse it.
Today, my mom uses her heart of gold as a gift. I have seen the sadness when her loving heart has sucked her dry, but I know that her heart keeps her going and gives her purpose as her heart is always open and ready to nurture someone else with the warmth of her love. It seems like the big, open and loving heart trait has been passed down to my siblings and I. My mom has given us the same advice as my Mimi gave to her. In my 20 years on Earth I have witnessed my Mimi and my mom live day to day with their incredibly large hearts and have experienced the ups and downs of living with a big heart in the world today.
People with big hearts are more likely to get hurt. Sometimes people suck your heart dry. They look at you as a source of love that is unending when in reality your spout may sometimes cease to shower the love and care people are looking for. Your heart will break when others abuse your kindness and your heart will falter when too many people come to you for the love you so freely give. But, you happily give to others, as it is your favorite part of yourself and the part that sets you apart from most in the world.
You are the giver in most situations. The reality is that most people in life are takers. They love to be handed things on silver platters and do not want to put the time and energy into the necessities in life. The takers suck people with big hearts dry.
The way you feel when you shower love on another is incomparable. There is no way to correctly describe the euphoric rush of happiness and the inerasable smile on both your and another’s face when you are able to open your heart to them. When you have a big heart it is not the fact that you helped another, but it is seeing the way that you made someone else feel that brings you joy. It is the ear-to-ear smile, exuding confidence, utter joy and bright eyes of the person that you showered love on that makes living with a big heart worthwhile.
Ultimately it is the best gift as you are able to touch others' lives in remarkable ways. When you really think about it life is about the little moments. It is about how you present yourself to the world. For me, life is not about the degree I get, the jobs or stuff I have. To me life is the difference that I can make in other people's lives. It is putting a smile on someone else’s face. Life is about loving someone so much that you hurt for them when they are hurting and are able to pick them up when they have fallen. Life is finding the people who love you as much as you love them. It is about having the courage to fight for what you believe in. Life is about passion. It is about getting hurt and being sucked dry, but finding the motivation to continue on. Life is about using your big heart to envelop others.
I look at my mom as a role model for how to live as she continues to share her heart with others under all circumstances. My mom has shown me what it feels like to be loved by someone with such a big heart. Every day for the past 20 years I have always been so incredibly and unconditionally loved by my mom. She has been my shoulder to cry on and has never closed her heart to me no matter how worn out she has been. I look to her and find myself in awe. She has made the most out of every breath she has breathed because of her unwavering love and her passion for helping others. My mom has taught me the greatest lesson, which is that life is about love and sharing your big heart with the world no matter what the cost, because in the end our time on Earth is limited; so why should you waste such a special gift?
