THIS THING CALLED "HEART"...........

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT SOME OF THE WAYS WE ALL USE THE WORD "HEART"?? I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE THUMPA-THUMPA THING IN OUR CHEST THAT PUMPS BLOOD ALL OVER THE PLACE. I MEAN, WHEN WE USE THE WORD "HEART" IN SOME ABSTRACT OR METAPHORICAL WAY. WHAT DO WE ACTUALLY MEAN WHEN WE SAY THINGS LIKE "HE'S ALL HEART" OR "SHE'S GOT A HEART OF GOLD"?? WE USE THE WORD "HEART" THIS WAY SO OFTEN THAT WE SELDOM THINK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE SAYING. WHAT IS THIS "HEART" WE SPEAK ABOUT??  WHEN WE SAY "I FEEL IT DOWN IN MY HEART", WE CERTAINLY DON'T MEAN THE ORGAN IN OUR CHEST. THINK OF ALL THE WAYS WE USE THE WORD "HEART" IN THIS NON-LITERAL WAY.............................

HAVE A HEART-TO-HEART TALK............I FEEL IT IN MY HEART OF HEARTS...........YOU'VE TOUCHED MY HEART...........MY HEART IS BROKEN..............HEART-FELT EMOTION........... IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU.............MY SWEET HEART............DON'T PLAY WITH MY HEART...........YOU'VE HURT MY HEART................I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART.............HARD HEARTED (OR SOFT HEARTED)..........THEY HAD A CHANGE OF HEART.............WEARING ONE'S HEART ON ONE'S SLEEVE............AN ACHING HEART (OR, IF YOU PREFER,  AN "ACHY-BREAKY" HEART).........HE'S A MAN AFTER MY OWN HEART...........SHE'S REALLY VERY GENTLE AT HEART.........YOUNG AT HEART.............TO HAVE A "BLEEDING HEART"............TO KEEP SOMETHING OR SOMEONE "CLOSE AT HEART"................TO "EAT YOUR HEART OUT"........... TO FOLLOW ONE'S HEART...............FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART...........TO HAVE A "BIG HEART"............TO "HAVE A HEART"............TO POSSESS A "HEART OF STONE"...........TO HAVE A "SOFT SPOT" IN YOUR HEART............TO HAVE YOUR HEART SET ON SOMETHING............ TO HAVE YOUR HEART "GO OUT" TO SOMEONE..........TO HAVE ONE'S HEART IN THE RIGHT PLACE................HER HEART JUST WASN'T IN IT............TO HAVE YOUR HEART SET AGAINST SOMETHING...............TO HAVE ONE'S HEART'S DESIRE..............TO HAVE A "HEAVY HEART"..............TO KNOW SOMETHING BY HEART..............TO NOT "LOSE HEART"............ TO NOT HAVE THE HEART TO DO SOMETHING.............TO OPEN ONE'S HEART..........TO SEARCH ONE'S HEART................TO BE "SICK AT HEART"...............TO "TAKE HEART"............TO DO SOMETHING TILL ONE'S HEART IS CONTENT..............TO "TUG AT ONE'S HEARTSTRINGS"......... THE WAY TO A PERSON'S HEART............TO WIN SOMEONE'S HEART.............TO LOVE SOMETHING WITH "ALL YOUR HEART"..............."ABSCENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER".........."HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS"............"NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART"........ "BLESS YOUR HEART".............TO CRY YOUR HEART OUT.............TO HARDEN YOUR HEART........ TO HAVE ONE'S HEART IN ONE'S SHOES...............TO THINK WITH YOUR HEART AND NOT WITH YOUR HEAD..................TO "POUR OUT YOUR HEART"..........FOR SOMETHING THAT "TEARS YOUR HEART OUT"............TO WARM THE "COCKLES" OF YOUR HEART..........MY HEART'S STILL IN DIXIE (OR ANY PLACE ELSE).............."THAT MOVED MY HEART".......ETC......ETC...........

THERE ARE MANY, MANY OTHER IDIOMS BESIDES THESE THAT MY BRAIN HURTS TOO MUCH TO REMEMBER RIGHT NOW. SO, MY POINT IS, WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED "HEART"??? THE LIST ABOVE DEMONSTRATES THAT IT IS NOT MERELY AN EUPHENISM FOR LOVE OR TENDER EMOTION. THE WORD CAN MEAN-----BRAVERY,COURAGE, SORROW, DISCOURAGEMENT, MEMORIZATION, FRIENDSHIP, INTIMACY, FEAR, INDECISION, RESPECT, HONOR, NOBLENESS, REGRET, TRIUMPH, VICTORY, VULNERABILITY, NOSTALGIA, SENTIMENTALITY, CRUELTY, EMBARRASSMENT, ANGUISH, DESPAIR, LOYALTY, AND DOZENS OF OTHER INFERRENCES.

IT'S AMAZING, ISN'T IT?? THIS LITTLE WORD WE SO SELDOM THINK ABOUT WHEN WE SAY IT OR USE IT IN AN EXPRESSION. YET, IT CONVEYS A MYRIAD OF SPECIAL MEANINGS FOR US OR FOR THOSE WE INTERACT WITH IN LIFE. SO, TO GET TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER, LET ME SAY FROM MY HEART MY HEART-FELT APPRECIATION FOR THIS HEART-TO-HEART CHAT.........