May the reader of this passage let go of right and wrong, blame, self-righteousness, etc. for a moment to observe the truth of this quote and gain courage, hope, healing, and capacity to love unconditionally through adversity. Read through any other lens, even slightly, misses the mark completely.
“Suffering breaks our hearts, but the heart can break in two different ways. There’s the brittle heart that breaks into shards, shattering the one who suffers as it explodes, and sometimes taking others down when it’s thrown like a grenade at the ostensible source of its pain. Then there’s the supple heart, the one that breaks open, not apart, the one that can grow into greater capacity for the many forms of love. Only the supple heart can hold suffering in a way that opens to new life.”
― Parker J. Palmer, On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old
Yes. This speaks to me. Thank you, Rachel.