Unpreventable Heartbreak

"Heartbreak is unpreventable;

the natural caring for people and things

over which we have no control ... "

David Whyte

Collapsing into the chair, I feel my heart shrinking and my stomach clenching to the point of nausea.  A tightness grows within my chest and my body feels particularly heavy.  It is difficult to swallow and when my head drops, I feel the tears escaping across my cheeks.  I am simply heartbroken, once again.

Heartbreak comes in many shapes and sizes.  Whether our life is grand or inconsequential, we will discover ourselves to be impacted.  We are heartbroken by the actions of others, so we have zero control for prevention.  We will find ourselves going through stages of denial or feelings of unworthiness; and sometimes escalating towards anger, bitterness and depression.

In time, we pretend for the sake of others displaying bravery or courage.  We may focus on comforting others to avoid our own loss.  We will make promises to ourselves, but eventually they will fall away.

The healthiest response is to look at our options triggered by this charge.  We can choose both our emotional and physical responses.  We make the decision of how long we want to wallow or be victimized.  When we begin to take steps forward, the rewards of the heartbreak surface.  We eventually will be thankful for the experience.  Finally, we begin to forgive for our own sake, to bring closure to ourselves, and to release the heaviness of heartbreak.