The Heart is a hardworking muscle located in the chest. It’s about the size of your fist, and pumps blood around your body; providing it with oxygen and nutrients, then carrying away waste.
Yet this pump has taken on more that its literal meaning. It is synonymous with implied values and feelings; the sense of intellect, understanding, will and courage. It enriches our language with vivid descriptions.
We talk of a ‘bleeding heart’, a ‘change of heart’, and ‘aching heart’; a ‘faint heart’ or even a ‘broken heart’ we offer thanks ‘from the bottom of our heart’ Those who lack courage are described as ‘faint hearted; and we like to ‘get to the heart’ of a problem. We can have ‘a bleeding heart’ or be ‘heavy-hearted with sorrow.
We can be generous and ‘good-hearted’ or lack enthusiasm by being ‘half-hearted.’ All these ‘hearty’ idioms conjure up pictures in our minds.
We can have a ‘heart of stone,’ or a ‘heart of gold.’ We can do things promptly- ‘in a heart-beat;’ We can be careless with our affections and ‘wear our heart on our sleeve.’ We may have ‘a bleeding heart,’ or have a fright when our ‘heart can miss a beat.’
When anxious, we say ‘my heart is in my mouth’, and that’s not good for our ‘heart health.’
‘Our heart can go out’ with compassion, which means ‘our heart is in the right place.’
We can ‘set our heart against’ something we don’t agree with; which makes us ‘half-hearted‘ or even ‘heavy-hearted’. Or we can ‘set our hearts on’ something, which motivation makes us ‘light-hearted’ or ‘whole-hearted.’
Cowards may be accused of ‘being chicken-hearted.’
Our heart can be ‘in our boots’, or ‘in the right place.’ Our ‘sinking heart’ is so versatile, it can even ‘skip a beat.’ With trusted friends we can ‘talk heart to heart,’ and they know that ‘home is where the heart is.’ You can ‘pour out your heart’ to them. Our friends also understand that ‘hope deferred makes the heart sick’
With a good memory, we can ‘learn things by heart.’ But allow ‘your heart to rule your head.’ If you are unconcerned for someone, you ‘don’t have a heart’ for; in which case you can’t ‘pour out your heart,’ or ‘eat your heart out.’
You can ‘steal a heart’, or feel ‘sick at heart’. You can ‘set your heart’ on a plan. On the other hand, you can ‘steel your heart’ against something.
When you ‘warm the cockles of your heart,’ The ‘heart is content’. And we know that ‘the way to a man’s heart’ is through his stomach!
‘Hand on heart’. We’ve been through a lot of ‘heartache’ recently. The destruction of thousands of quakes ‘broke my heart’, and now, as a quake refugee from Canterbury, “absence from my home makes my heart grow fonder’. Now in our Covid-19 solitary confinement, we know the comfort of contact with caring friends, and a ‘hearty meal because food can be purchased thanks to unsung workers making, distributing and selling us ingredients. Take heart, Nativity family! God is with us in our ‘Bubble’
‘Cross my heart,’ my advice to you is: (from the Bible)
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.”
So, have a ‘hearty laugh’ every day. Be ‘whole-hearted’ and positive in your attitude.
Follow your ‘heart’s desires’.
‘Take heart, ’ Friends. Old age isn’t for the ‘faint-hearted’ (but it surely beats the alternative…..)
Pour your ‘heart and soul’ into generous and kind deeds. This will ‘lift your heart’ and spirit.
Hand on heart it will!
Rose Francis
Yet this pump has taken on more that its literal meaning. It is synonymous with implied values and feelings; the sense of intellect, understanding, will and courage. It enriches our language with vivid descriptions.
We talk of a ‘bleeding heart’, a ‘change of heart’, and ‘aching heart’; a ‘faint heart’ or even a ‘broken heart’ we offer thanks ‘from the bottom of our heart’ Those who lack courage are described as ‘faint hearted; and we like to ‘get to the heart’ of a problem. We can have ‘a bleeding heart’ or be ‘heavy-hearted with sorrow.
We can be generous and ‘good-hearted’ or lack enthusiasm by being ‘half-hearted.’ All these ‘hearty’ idioms conjure up pictures in our minds.
We can have a ‘heart of stone,’ or a ‘heart of gold.’ We can do things promptly- ‘in a heart-beat;’ We can be careless with our affections and ‘wear our heart on our sleeve.’ We may have ‘a bleeding heart,’ or have a fright when our ‘heart can miss a beat.’
When anxious, we say ‘my heart is in my mouth’, and that’s not good for our ‘heart health.’
‘Our heart can go out’ with compassion, which means ‘our heart is in the right place.’
We can ‘set our heart against’ something we don’t agree with; which makes us ‘half-hearted‘ or even ‘heavy-hearted’. Or we can ‘set our hearts on’ something, which motivation makes us ‘light-hearted’ or ‘whole-hearted.’
Cowards may be accused of ‘being chicken-hearted.’
Our heart can be ‘in our boots’, or ‘in the right place.’ Our ‘sinking heart’ is so versatile, it can even ‘skip a beat.’ With trusted friends we can ‘talk heart to heart,’ and they know that ‘home is where the heart is.’ You can ‘pour out your heart’ to them. Our friends also understand that ‘hope deferred makes the heart sick’
With a good memory, we can ‘learn things by heart.’ But allow ‘your heart to rule your head.’ If you are unconcerned for someone, you ‘don’t have a heart’ for; in which case you can’t ‘pour out your heart,’ or ‘eat your heart out.’
You can ‘steal a heart’, or feel ‘sick at heart’. You can ‘set your heart’ on a plan. On the other hand, you can ‘steel your heart’ against something.
When you ‘warm the cockles of your heart,’ The ‘heart is content’. And we know that ‘the way to a man’s heart’ is through his stomach!
‘Hand on heart’. We’ve been through a lot of ‘heartache’ recently. The destruction of thousands of quakes ‘broke my heart’, and now, as a quake refugee from Canterbury, “absence from my home makes my heart grow fonder’. Now in our Covid-19 solitary confinement, we know the comfort of contact with caring friends, and a ‘hearty meal because food can be purchased thanks to unsung workers making, distributing and selling us ingredients. Take heart, Nativity family! God is with us in our ‘Bubble’
‘Cross my heart,’ my advice to you is: (from the Bible)
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.”
So, have a ‘hearty laugh’ every day. Be ‘whole-hearted’ and positive in your attitude.
Follow your ‘heart’s desires’.
‘Take heart, ’ Friends. Old age isn’t for the ‘faint-hearted’ (but it surely beats the alternative…..)
Pour your ‘heart and soul’ into generous and kind deeds. This will ‘lift your heart’ and spirit.
Hand on heart it will!
Rose Francis
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