The cardiac muscle that pumps blood through our bodies is essential for our survival. There are times when it functions magnificently without a glitch or a hitch. There are others when it skips beats or ceases altogether. It is in those moments when we count life precious. For this heart forward woman who experienced a cardiac event on June 12, 2014, every day is precious. I never take one for granted, nor do I see those in my life as anything less than beloved. It wasn’t always so. Many times, I would feel as if my life was a series of challenges to overcome and that I did, with what I thought of as grace and ease, only to find that I did what needed to be done unconsciously, rather than with clear intent. Essentially, I sleep walked through life, going with the flow, letting the chips fall where they may. Now I decide which direction to follow, planting seeds and watching in amazement as they blossom and grow in wondrous ways.

This past week, I attended a meeting of a group called Women Heart that is comprised of those whose own hearts have rebelled in the face of life circumstances. On this particular night, they ranged in age from 50’s-80’s.  I walked in the room as a participant rather than wearing my therapist’s hat as I would have been inclined to do a month or so ago. This time I was there for me.  I listened to their stories and felt a sense of kindred connection, as one by one, they shared, not just the medical, but the emotional and spiritual as well. The ways their cardiac conditions impacted on their relationships was profound. I laughed and cried knowingly with each of them. All of us agreed that we were worlds away from the women we were before. We were now allowing our hearts to lead the way, rather than merely our minds. We made choices based on what I like to think of as heart speak rather than head speak.

Since life is unpredictable, I have learned that life can change in a heartbeat and so I miss nothing.