The Heart of the Matter

You always know it’s that time of year when every storefront window display is chalk-full of paper- mache pink and red hearts. Valentine’s Day; when couples actually have to ring out the romance and hang it out to dry with some processed chocolate hearts and a pair of red-laced underwear. But what is it with the hearts? Or, the heart, if you will. It is love’s mascot, the symbol for feeling all emotion. We use it in expressions: “My heart is heavy,” "My heart is sad," “My heart is breaking,” “My heart is filled with love.” Why is the heart the center of love? How did it come to be that a small beating muscle would measure our feelings for another human being?

Let me first point out that I am no scientist. I can only draw information from what I learned in 7th grade biology class. Scientifically, the heart is what keeps us alive. It is connected to our neurological nerves, blood stream, and air. If the heart stops, we stop living. It’s funny how we feel a physical pain when we are rejected or our special someone has just broken up with us. But it is the heart that continues to beat long after we hear, “I’m sorry but this just isn’t going to work out.” Emotion is a part of the physical, and so is the heart. Sometimes our mind thinks one thing, while our heart feels something else. But really, the heart and the mind are connected.

Why do you think your heart begins to beat faster when you see someone you want walking towards you? Your heart knows what you want. Sometimes it just needs to slow down, but when you are in a moment, it’s simply impossible.