How much love can a heart hold? Is there a limit or does the heart grow bigger? At this time of year I’m reminded of the Grinch’s heart and how it grew two sizes. What feeds the heart and keeps it warm? How strong is a parents heart?

As many of you already know, none of our four children were “planned.” We just let it happen naturally and coincidentally it always seemed to happen just before we transferred with the company. Ryan was our Perry baby, Sarah was Algona, Andrew Sioux City and Emily was the Des Moines transfer. With every baby we found a special place in our hearts just for them. Our hearts grew bigger. 

We learned, as many parents do, how our children’s happiness fed our own hearts. Watching them grow, supporting them and loving them is true happiness for us. Then came the hard part, the part when they leave home. How does your heart adjust to that? Truthfully, it aches for a while. How could it not? Then you find ways to fill the emptiness. You still get to watch them grow, support and love them, it’s just a little bit different. Through technology and Sunday dinners we’ve come up with ways to feed our hearts.

Our hearts are full, our hearts are warm, our hearts even have room for more. Now we have to see just how strong our hearts are.

Ryan is following his heart. He has joined the Marine Corp. When we were first told about this it was over the phone and it was hard to comprehend. We had questions; why, what does that mean, for how long? It wasn’t until he came home and we got to watch him talk about it that we knew why. Remember that part about their happiness? It was all there in his eyes. The excitement and the certainty that this is what he wants to do.

The parent’s heart. I know it always has room. I know the warmth it contains. I’ve learned how to fill it. Now’s the time to test its strength.