Heart to heart in a happy hearty way

My friend views Covid days with a sinking heart and every time he reads the numbers he has his heart in his mouth and he even wears his mask at home

The heart is a lonely hunter. Remember that coming of age and the first heartthrob where even seeing her from 100 metres made your heartbeat hasten into dry mouthed rapidity. And how with that racing heart you stood at the bus stop or sat in the classroom drenched with that moony look of dripping adoration. Then your heart broke because that pure 16-year-old's love was unrequited seeing as how she went away without looking back and you heartrendingly told your friends of your woe and misery and how life would not be the same ever again. You soulfully sang I don't have a wooden heart but two weeks later you had forgotten her name and there was no need to eat your heart out anymore.
Remember your parents having heart to heart talks about your grades and you promising to learn everything by heart and now you do the same to your kids and once in a way when your wife went on a trip you were a summer bachelor and okay, absence does make the heart grow fonder.
Now and then you were naïve enough to bare your heart to a friend and it was betrayed and that left you with severe heartburn and the fact is that many of us take things to heart and we keep quiet because yes, we do not have the heart to confront the other person. It is not that one is faint of heart but life is full of disappointments. Is it not? You might come to the party from the heart with total sincerity but the other person does not have your best interests at heart and frankly, the heart of the matter is that you are eating your heart out but by the same token take heart because there are folks out there with heartfelt empathy for you. Be careful, there is a lot of bad out there so do not wear your heart on your sleeve.  
My friend views these Covid days with a sinking heart and every time he reads the numbers he has his heart in his mouth and he even wears his mask at home. It is from the heart, says he, and it gladdens my heart that I do not take chances, though occasionally my heart sinks at the thought of an old normal that is now out of reach.
I tell him not to be sick at heart because even this will pass and to take heart. We all face situations where we need to have a big heart and not take everything to heart.  
Every once in a way you and I do not have the heart to tell someone like it is especially those who are near to our hearts. Truth be told I am not a bleeding heart but I do have some sympathy for the current problems the world is facing and my heart is not made of stone. Cross my heart I would like to do everything I can to help because even if I say so myself my heart is in the right place and it leaps when I see someone lending a helping hand so put your heart and soul into whatever you do.  
Just stay young at heart and that would be truly heartening. 
-bikram@khaleejtimes.com