Reflections: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Picking Daisies
Sylvia Cook Photography

I shudder to think at how many lovely daisies met their doom as I plucked their petals saying, "He loves me, he loves me not..."  After all, it surely was the foolproof way of finding out if each and every boyhood crush was "the one!"  Just to make sure, I also sat in the grass searching for four-leaf clovers for good luck in love, but they were far too difficult to find.  Perhaps wishing on the first star of evening would be my secret for finding true love. "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight." Yet how could I be certain my "knight in shining armor" was looking up at the same bright stars that very night I was?  

The heart is a funny thing.  

It isn't affected by daisies or four-leaf clovers or stars.

Then one day I realized that something strange had happened to my heart. It had stretched - it didn't totally belong to me anymore. Somehow it had become a part of another person and that person meant more to me than anyone else ever had.  And the stretching has never stopped.  When I held our first son I thought my heart would burst, but it just stretched with love.  Could it ever hold more?  Goodness, yes! It has stretched to hold enough for three more incredible sons, wonderful daughters-in-law, six amazing grandchildren, precious family and friends... There have also been times of heartbreak and loss, when my heart felt shriveled to the point of breaking.  Times when there weren't enough stars in the sky to wish on to make the hurt go away.

The heart is a magnificent thing.  Deep love for one another strengthens us.

Well, my "knight in shining armor" still means more to me than anyone else ever has. On occasion he does fall asleep in his recliner while "watching TV" before the first bright star of evening makes its appearance. However, about a week ago he walked into the kitchen with a bouquet of flowers from the grocery store in his hands and said, "I saw these and thought you'd like them."  Indeed I did, for scattered throughout the arrangement were daisies. I didn't even have to pluck their petals - I know "he loves me!"

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This month's Fireflies theme?  HEARTS!  We hope you will join Fireflies as we share books and activities on the HEART and so much more.