ten things to do with a broken heart

 1.  if the heart is truly broken, try with all one's might to tie it back together again, so that it won't crumble when one pins it back upon one's sleeve.

2.  once the heart is put back into one piece again, albeit cracked or broken, thread some ribbon through the top so that it can be hung in different spots throughout the house, as a reminder of all things good and bad, helpful or hurtful, tender or raw.  hang it in the afternoon sun, from a shiny old door knob, and leave it there 'til the sun goes down, so that it can soak up some warmth and radiate.  

3.  once the sun has set and darkness settles in, drape the heart beneath a crown and declare this heart queen - queen of everything tender and honest and keen.    hang the crown and the heart on a lampshade of ecru silk, and watch the royal heart go from shadow to light, from night to day, from pain to strength and back to pain again.  wait for the cycle to ease, the self doubt to wane.  while waiting, reach out and touch the heart, the ribbon, the crown.  remember to be kind to this heart, to this aching, this tenderness, this broken piece of art.  this heart.

4.  tie the be-ribboned heart 'round the neck of a kindred spirit, of something warm that will wear it with kindness and respect.  

5.  hang the heart before a mirror and allow it to reflect.   

6.  hang this broken heart around the buddha's neck and let the pain of suffering, of introspection, of loves discarded and lost, of loves observant and of loving pain become the buddha's ornament to bear.   leave it on the buddha for a night, for another day, and into the next night.  feel the heart become less burdensome, watch it become another thing of beauty, of special light.

 

7.  hold this heart to the all-embracing evening sky, let the beauty of the velvet sky wrap itself around the shadow of the heart and let the heart find some warming comfort in the growing darkness there.  

8. __________________________________ .

9.___________________________ .

10.__________________________________________.

Comments

[Carol]

And they say only time can heal a broken heart. It looks like tenderness and love work too. Sending love from NH.

[kelly]

#8. Send heart to artist living in So CA who fell in love with it when she saw it broken...

I try. LOL!!!!!

I LOVE the post and photos that go with it.
Kudos, Nina.

[Denise S]

Know sweet one that the sun will come up again tomorrow in all its glory and we can get on with the task at hand which is sometimes to just be,simply be.

[Pattie Mosca]

Let your tears wash over it and gather it to your breast to feel the tenderness and love that it has collected as it healed.

[wendy]

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

ee cummings

[Corrine]

#8 lay it in a mountain stream with all its broken sisters so that it may be comforted and washed clean and shiny new again.
#9 hang it in an autumn tree so that it can feel the gentle wind, and maybe sister spider will join her weaving with yours and this heart will be strengthened with such fragile bonds
#10 Place it with gentle care in a garden nook and watch the moss grow upon the stoney surface until the weaving becomes old and frayed. Light a candle for it in the snow, and bring it flowers in the spring. Then maybe one day, when we have all long gone, someone else will find it and love it for what it is.

[Penny]

Put it under your pillow so that you can protect it through the night.

[carole]

Nina what a beautiful Talisman,
for you to remember that broken hearts can be healed and to let it absorb all the elements around you,and for you to hold it and let it empower you in time of need ,all you need now is a magic rainbow ,thinking of you from afar
With love Carole XXXOOO

[kim]

xo

[Tina in McLeansville]

sit with it in silence, pressed to your beating heart till it warms. let them speak to each other and to you. listen to it. let your heart feel the coolness of dark night and the warmth of sunny day through it. and let it feel the strength of life that flows through yours. let them fill, each from the other, as often as one feels empty. xo

[Emily Henderson]

This post is the most beautiful entry I have read yet on your blog. Just when I think you have said it all, you come out of no where with something else for us to ponder and absorb. Reading your blog can help mend a broken heart---smile.

[carol]

this much i know...a broken heart still beats. my thoughts are with you.

[Lisa]

8. Put a couple of "O's" on it and look at it for all the others that love & covet that heart!
9.Take that heart to a country where people's hearts and souls are put in check daily and watch them survive, love, and pour themselves into a life that knows no other way to deal with it!!!!!
10. Wear it with pride for the lessons learned!!!! It'll just get stronger!!!!!!

[stephanie]

I offer no words of wisdom that don't already resonate within your bones...you need none. You have them in you already. I see such beauty in this post and all that is between the lines of that cracked and beautiful heart.
What tenderness you share with us all....

oxoxo

[eb]

loving the x and the other x that pass through the o and the o - this x and o'ed heart of a heart of gold...

xox - eb.

[Erin Gergen Halls]

as d.h.lawrence has said,
i never saw a wild thing sorry for itself...,
i believe this to be true of stones as well.
even heart-shaped stones.

but what you have done here transforms this stone into something...
something beyond itself.
what you have done hear speaks volumes as to your soul. your spirit.

your heart.

where was this testament to the heart's possibilities all the many times i've needed it?
where will it be when i need it again?
well, here i guess.
so thank you.

[Cindy Ericsson]

hold it in your hand as you think wishful, prayerful thoughts of the ones you love.

keep it in your pocket or inside your blouse when you need a secret reminder that you don't have to be perfect to be loved.

leave it near the computer so that you can remember it's always good to share your heart here.

[Tess]

Your heart is magnificent and the ritual it has undertaken is beyond words. The magic you have shared here with us this day is true magic, true love of the unconditional kind. This gift from nature has taught many lessons to you and to us. A brilliant reminder that our hearts can withstand what ever pain it may endure as long as it is shared. Blessed Be dear Nina,
(hugs) Tess

[Martine]

and maybe, after all this mending, time will heal this heart so it can feel love again.
This is my wish for this beautiful heart.

[jane]

8. Tuck it in your pocket this morning as you visit your polling place, early. When you feel it there, think of the young family willing to sacrifice everything to do nothing less than change the world.
9. Hold a thought for the mother and grandmother who had to leave this world before they could see their beloved son's extraordinary gift acknowledged by the rest of the world.
10. Be reminded anew that in a divided world, there are a lot of incredibly talented and truly good people who are willing to put themselves out there to fashion a bit of good from all the brokenness.

With fingers crossed,

Jane in MA

[natalya]

what a wonderful way to mend a broken heart...

[Steph]

WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Nina, this iece is AWSOME ! I love it!

[Steph]

WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Nina, this piece is AWSOME! LOve it!

[Amy]

There could not possibly be a better remedy for a broken heart than that. I would never have thought to do any of those things--perhaps glue the heart back together, hiding the fault line instead of beautifying it and making it into something so breathtaking, so life-affirming. Thank you so much for being the incredible woman you are, and again, for sharing that with us. Someday, I want to be able to look at the world the way you do, creating wonder and beauty out of everything.

[nancyk]

sacred is thy heart

no matter how
broken
shattered
abandoned
lost
or found
mended with loving kindness
she remains
sacred
always
and forever

[kathy vk]

Hey sweetie ... well done ... well said ... a brilliant healing step. sending great love
- k

[Star]

So many good continuations of your list here in the comments. I'm glad you didn't leave it up to all the king's horses and all the king's men because they couldn't have done what you've shown us here.

You have such strength, Nina, but sometimes we all just need a little more than we think we have in us. Sending a bit extra from me to you to help shore you up until yours rebounds.

xoxo Star

[Ariane]

Hang the heart around a tree so it will learn to grow strong with deep roots.

Hang the heart among roses so it knows that true beauty sometimes comes with thorns.

Wash the heart in water so it can be reborn anew.

[beth]

hold that heart gently in your hands as a reminder that every day is fragile....

and as fragile as everyday is, remind yourself how strong you are...

and with that strength, you my dear will fly with wings larger than any of us thought possible....

xoxo

[ElainePDX]

Ah, Nina~~you are brilliant!!!

[Shelly S.]

feel the broken heart pull at the seams as it expands with wisdom and learns to love again

allow the broken heart to remind you that the comfort you seek can only be found in the giving of comfort to others

give the broken heart a new song and rejoice once more that, although worn and scarred, it still beats strong and true

[Cindy]

8. Wear it proudly as a reminder to love more and not worry about being hurt because a heart can always be repaired...with time and more love...

[Lisa]

Funny how we can all look at images and interpret them differntly. When I saw the first image of the broken heart...I thought of how full our hearts can be and out spills all the love.

Our hearts expand and contract, but always manages to heal.

I love how you rebuilt this little heart...always inspiring.

[minnie]

you have the heart of an angel that speaks to our soul, and when it cracks, the light comes in and makes it whole....but how you show us this, is your art and our most precious gift from you....it is awe inspiring....

[herhimnbryn]

You walked the path, maybe stumbled a little, but as always you have lifted your head and strode onwards.

Nina, only you could make a broken heart look so beautiful

[karen]

lovely! a perfect instruction guide for broken hearts....

[Susan]

Now, what will you do with the "crack of dawn"? Those are the two things my Ev says that he can't fix.....

Nina, you know I live in hot air ballooning country, right? Though we've only invited one another for imaginary martinis, I keep thinking about your wish to take a balloon ride and how I might facilitate that. Look up (google images)Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta next time you're in a place where the wifi flows like honey. Prepare to weep at the beauty.
S