Remember this if you're heartbroken

Poetry Oracle: Week of November 13th

Welcome back to the Self Love Confidential Poetry Oracle, where the universe sends you the message you need to hear right now by way of a poem from one of my books.

If you’re feeling heartbroken, this week’s Oracle is for you.

The ABCs of Self Love. Get your copy here.

Well, this weekend I finally cracked. In addition to my general heartbreak over the state of the world, my daughter suffered a painful concussion due to a PE accident. But it wasn’t staying up at night giving her meds, or taking her to four doctors in two days, or worrying that she broke her nose or eye socket that did me in, nor was it the constant onslaught of traumatic, albeit worthy news that confronts us everywhere we all go. Nope, the catalyst for my fracture was much more basic: it was someone yelling at me at a bakery for being on my phone and not moving up in line fast enough. “Wake up! It’s your turn!” he yelled as he walked away (funny enough he wasn’t even waiting in line). I stepped up to the register and then I crumbled. I let out the big cry. And once it started, I couldn’t stop.

Thankfully, everyone around me was incredibly kind and patient. It took about five minutes for me to even be able to order. The bakery staff consoled me with a a free croissant and a discount on my meal. They looked for the angry man to set him straight. They did everything right. Humanity, however frail and forgotten, does still in fact exist. But the damage was done: my armor had fallen. I’m not okay. And perhaps I imagine, neither are you. We are heartbroken. But also, we are something much more: openhearted.

The definition of openhearted is helpful here. It means to be candid, to be emotionally expressive and responsive. To speak your truth is to be openhearted. To feel your feelings is to be openhearted. To receive emotion from another, you must be openhearted. 

A heart opened is a heart that is able to receive. A heart opened is one that has experienced life and survived. To connect with another soul, you need an open heart. To welcome love, light, joy . . . you need an open heart. To experience the magic of vulnerability, you need an open heart. To create space for possibility, you need an open heart. 

For me, a more open heart means that even though I’m uncomfortable being so vulnerable, I’m being more authentic. And I believe self love is just that: a commitment to authenticity. So instead of trying to pretend I haven’t cracked, I’m using all this newfound space and openness to welcome in all the things I need and want to fill my heart right now. You can print the graphic below and fill in your heart, too. Interestingly enough, today (November 13th) is a new moon, a new moon in Scorpio to be precise, and this moon powers exactly this: authenticity, facing and healing deep wounds, and experiencing much-needed renewal.

How will you fill your open heart?

Speaking of being openhearted, last Thursday’s Confession is the most vulnerable I’ve ever been. I hope you’ll take a moment to read it, comment and share.