Love Hurts 2.8

Every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love. Every patch represents the love I have received.

A young woman and an old woman relaxed with some hot coffee and cookies. "My heart is the most perfect in the world", proclaimed the younger of the pair. Her heart was brand new - not a mark, scar, or single flaw marred it.

"Your heart looks perfect, but it is not as beautiful as mine" replied the other woman. With a gasp the young woman studied her friend’s heart. It was full of scars, some pieces were missing. It was patched with a bit of thread. Pieces of other hearts filled in the gaps, but they didn't quite fit.

The young woman laughed: "Compared to your heart, mine is perfect! And yours is an ugly combination of scars and tears."

"Yes" - said the old woman - "Your heart looks perfect, but I would never trade my heart for yours. Each and every scar on my heart represents a person to whom I have given my love. Sometimes I tear out a piece of my heart and give it away. Sometimes I get a piece back in exchange for my love which I meld into the empty place in my heart. Each heart is unique, some pieces fit, while others don’t. My unrequited loves have left a few empty spaces. "She points to one of the more obvious gouges. "To me, the real beauty is in the love I have been sharing with the world all these years."

The young woman sat silently. Tears ran down her cheeks. She reached into her young heart and ripped a piece out. Offering it to the old woman her friend accepted the piece and placed it in an open space. She removed a piece from her own heart and placed it into the young woman’s heart.

It fit, though only just.

Her heart is no longer perfect. It is more beautiful than ever.