The Vast Heart

From the Mary-El Tarot, the Five of Cups; from the OH Cards, Hospital/Comic:

          White writes "To love is to risk loss; they are part of the same natural cycle." It does require courage to risk opening the heart instead of shielding it. Invariably the love we feel will also bring pain - just ask a pet owner who has recently euthanized a furry member of the family. The unicorn's horn was said to purify poisoned water. But with no mythical animals to rely on, the only way we can heal a heart is to keep it open and exposed to fresh air.

With such a vast heart,

immense as the wide-open sea,

suffering cannot overpower us,

just as a small handful of salt

cannot make a great river salty.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh 

          A hospital may be where you go when you're injured or sick, but it is also a place to get well. The word card "comic" that is paired with the hospital card today reminds me not to forget how to smile or laugh when the body or spirit is in need of healing. In the words of Bob Newhart, "Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on."