Heartstrings...

I am re-posting this today as a direct response to someone who sent out a cybernetic message-in-a-bottle and likely touched more people than he realizes.. I wanted to comment and let him know he's not alone, that we all struggle and that there are more people willing to help than anyone ever sees... but I wasn't quite sure how to word it -- and this older piece of mine came to mind.. so .. here's hoping he understands...

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Please don't say "my heart has no strings" ..

when I talk about the term 'heartstrings' .. I don't mean the kind of "strings-attached" deal .. like a puppeteer w/ his marionette .. pulling the strings and guiding the movements of the doll ..

heartstrings are strands woven through the sands of time that connect us with those we love... like our parents or our children .. our friends.. even some mere acquaintances ..

when we talk about something "pulling on our heartstrings" .. it is meant that an event has caused us to reflect on those relationships we hold and that our emotions are being drawn to the surface..

some relationships have more than a strand between them, some have entire woven histories -- like my mother and I, I'd say there's an entire linen-closet woven between us .. some have stronger ties than others ..

but I wouldn't want to be anywhere without my heartstrings.. because these are not merely the connections between our loved ones, they are also the ropes that, when we've fallen over the cliffs of despair, act as safety lines to keep us from plummeting fully .. and allow us the opportunity to climb ourselves out ..

strangely enough, it is those whom we have knots in our heartstrings with .. those who we may have a strong bond, but where there is conflict (or, a knot) .. who may actually allow us the better passage to climb up from .. the knots being great hand-holds .. and sometimes using those particular heartstrings as a means of coming back from over-the-edge.. we will discover that the knots (or conflicts!) were less important as we once thought and the heart-string to that person is somehow stronger for the experience ...

*shrug* sorry to rant.. *blush* .. but yea, please don't say you have no heartstrings.. that would make me very, very sad...