THE LITTLE HEART
As I was doing some cleaning earlier, I came across this little book which was given to me as a gift by a German friend of mine, Frank, somewhere in 2005, if I remember correctly. It's a small crimson red book measuring 10cm by 10cm with a little pink heart-shaped jewel embedded in the centre of it. The title of the book is The Little Heart (Das Kleine Harz) written by Wolfgang Joop. It's a simple book with little words and illustrations, about 33 pages thick and with very colourful pages. But, the thing that makes this book very special is the meaning of the short story it tells of. I love this book. It's so simple even a kid in nursery can read yet, however, the meaning of the story is so profound, refreshing and uplifting. It's so beautiful I have to share it with all of you. I hope you will enjoy it. Here's how it goes...
THE LITTLE HEART
When the little heart was still very little, it did not have any dreams, because it did not have the images to dream.
When the little heart began to grow, it did not have any wishes. It beat to the rhythm of another heart. The heart of its mother.
When the little heart was born, it almost stopped beating in fright.
When the little heart stopped hearing its mother's heartbeat, it felt very alone.
When the little heart learned that every heart beats only for itself, it felt icy cold.
When the little heart felt another heart beating nearby, it felt a little warmer.
When the little heart felt even more hearts beating nearby, it calmed down.
When the little heart got a little bigger, it often felt afraid and very alone...
When the little heart was in despair, it heard, "You must be big and strong!"
When the little heart then got bigger, it heard, "You must fight!"
When the little-big heart heard that, it asked itself, "Why should I fight? Against whome? And what for?"
When the little-big heart then heard, "Because you want to be a grown-up heart, don't you?", it thought, "But I am only THE heart. And a heart is always a child."
When the little-big heart grew bigger, it had many wishes...
When the little-big heart learned that many of its wishes would not be fulfilled, it often wanted to stop beating.
When the little-big heart got even bigger, it learned that hoping is nicer than wishing...
When the little-big heart continued to grow, it was often very tired from growing and did not always want to beat.
When the little-big heart learned it would die if it did not keep on beating, it kept on beating.
When the little-big heart got even bigger, it sometimes beat very erratically.
When the little-big heart beat especially erratically, it felt ill.
When the little-big heart felt as if it had been hit by an arrow, it thought it was dying.
Then the little-big heart heard a voice which told it, "What you are feeling now may feel like pain, but it is LOVE!"
Then the little-big heart stopped wanting to be a little heart, or even a little-big heart.
The heart wanted then to grow and grow and grow enough to let all the warmth and light in.
When the little big heart was so big that it did not fit in this book anymore...
it became the heart that was given to you...!
1032hrs
