Rhythm-Hearts and Life

Rhythm-Hearts and Life

Our heart beats at a certain rhythm.  When we walk fast, our heart beats a little faster.  When we rest, it slows down.  It keeps the rhythm of our lives.  It moves us through our days and nights without a hitch. Unless there is a challenge, we hardly ever think about what is happening inside our body.  We assume things are in perfect working order.

Then one day we get that wake-up call none of us want to receive.  Something is wrong with our heart.  That part of us that keeps us moving and living has developed a glitch.  We are surprised, shocked and dismayed.  What was once so perfect is now sick.  It needs repair.  That repair might be medicine, or it might be surgery.  Almost always it means a change of lifestyle.  What we hardly ever thought about is now on our minds daily.

Could our heart be a picture of our life?  Maybe it is.

We move through our lives with certain rhythms.  Sometimes the rhythms look one way on the outside and another way on the inside.  We move through our lives as if all is well.  Actually, we move through life putting up fronts.  We know what we want our lives to show so we act in that way.  We have a picture of what best represents a good life, a life well lived.  That is the life we portray to others.  It is painful to face the truth about what our life actually is.  There might be a deep and wide chasm that only we know exists.

Should the day arrive when we acknowledge  that the rhythms are not smooth, we are face to face with decisions.  Decisions are challenging.  What should we do with this knowledge?  Where can we turn for help?  What about all the self doubt that seeps into our being?  The questions are endless.  But, they force us to think about what the best rhythm is for us.

We remember when the rhythm was perfect.  Life was good.  At some point we begin to do a reality check of ourselves.  Are we moving through life but not really living it?  Are we caught in a situation that does not bring the best to us or others?  Is there a way to medicate the rhythm so that it returns to its former healthy state?  Is surgery necessary?  Exactly what are the options when life has lost its rhythm?

All lives have bumps.  All lives have challenges.  All lives have stress.  Yet, it is possible to live with all of those elements if the rhythm of our lives is constant and strong.  That might mean our primary relationships are essential to our well being. It might mean that we need to make some changes to live a better life.  For each of us, it means something different.  What is not different for all of us is the need to love and be loved.  That is the one element of life that must be constant.  It must have a rhythm.  It must present itself as a constant in our lives.

Human relationships possess a rhythm.  Each one causes us to move to the rhythm unique to it.  If one of those relationships upsets our sense of balance, we should study the why and decide what should be done.  Sometimes medicine works.  We can seek professional help in understanding ourselves.  We can seek to change those elements that need change within our own lives.  Sometimes surgery is necessary. Surgery means we are eleminating something that is hurting us.  We are removing it from our presense. We are freeing ourselves of the pain it brings to us.  This is the most radical way to find the new rhythm.  The truth is after all the thinking and talking, surgery maybe the only way to find yourself.

All of this came to my mind today as I listened to a person on the radio speaking about the heart and its rhythm.  I want my heart to beat steady and strong for many years to come.  And I want my life to show love and care for others through the rhythm of my life.