Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Fragile!

The word from my heart pocket is Fragile.

When something is easily breakable, we mark it fragile. We handle it carefully, put it out of reach, up high and behind glass doors. We value these things and sometimes we pay dearly for them. They are fragile and we protect them.

The delicate things in our lives are precious. What if we could wear stickers on our foreheads that read, "Be kind to me today. I'm feeling fragile." Suppose there were sensors in our bodies that made our arms turn blue when we needed a hug or our ears a bright green when we wanted to be heard. 

In fact, our bodies do give signs. Some are obvious. Our faces flush red when we are embarrassed and when we get really angry. Our eyebrows shoot up in surprise and fear. Our muscles tense, our mouths turn up and down, we swing our arms and step lighter. We shuffle and trudge. We become paralyzed with fear.  We are sick with worry.

The notion of time is important to us humans. It is one of those ideas we view as fragile. If we really look at this notion, it isn't the time that flies - it is how we choose to spend it. It is our energy that is valuable and sometimes fragile. When we spend energy on something we don't value, we waste it. When we use it for reasons that are counterproductive to our goals, we live to regret. Energy begets energy. Where we put our focus is where we make progress. It becomes fragile when we misuse it, waste it, scatter and spread it too thin.

A fragile teacup is a work of art. The artisan fashions it slowly and with care. It is fired and removed from the kiln tenderly. It is painted daintily and ever so lightly. Rather than letting it spend its life on a shelf, it becomes even more valuable when it is used purposefully, shares its energy with the one drinking from its fine teacup lips. A work of art becomes more of who it is when viewed and appreciated, or is the center of controversy, starting conversation, eliciting emotions and stimulating thought. Its shell might be fragile but its spirit grows strong with use.

A fragile spirit deserves the same care. It wants to be tended slowly, nurtured with care. The human spirit - and that of all living beings - has times of fragility and we nurse it but we do not coddle it if we truly want it to heal. Petunias want to be cut back periodically so they can cluster and grow in abundance. Our animal friends want exercise and a chance to connect with nature so their bodies strengthen and their energy is spent intentionally rather than pent up causing restlessness and illness. 

To be fragile it is not necessary to be weak, although we use the word in that context. To be fragile can also mean elegance, fineness of structure, delicacy, rare and beautiful.

If we can connect fragility with beauty, we can bring a gentle nature to our lives. If someone is suffering - is fragile - he is walking a fine line for awhile and we do well to give what is needed rather than to overdo. When a child is struggling - in school or sports, in relationships and growing pains - she is beautifully trying her wings and requires the tenderest of encouragement, consistency and a steady light. We all need this from time to time. If we wallow in our fragility, we lose our value, our purposefulness and our spirit fades. When we are fragile, our strength comes from within and it is our greatest challenge to muster this attitude. The beauty of fragility positively glistens at the moment this decision is made. Until then, we are the breakable kind of fragile. When this pinnacle is reached - and each of us has known it - fragile becomes structurally sound, unmatched in its elegance and beauty.

Athletes know this. Artists know this. Entrepreneurs experience it. Innovators, actors, visionaries. Mothers and fathers. The homeless. Those who face tragedy and overcome.

We learn about strength from our most fragile moments. We get the opportunity to face our vulnerability and if we choose to accept the challenge, we see exactly who we are. This crystal clear moment is a fine gift offered in a moment of sheer beauty. The connection is real and if we can draw it into our hearts right then, we cross into the promised land where we feel satisfied and peaceful. Fragility is a point of healing. Fragility works with gentility and grace. True strength comes from the possibility of being fragile. It is honorable and present in every moment of every day. 

Life is beautiful. Its fragility reminds us to take good care.