Several years ago, I heard this story on the radio. I never heard who wrote it and this isn’t the exact story. However, I believe it’s one worth telling, and I’ve added a few things to it. There will be a few short comments after it. Hope you get half as much from it as I have.

Long ago, there was an aging King. He had only one son whom he knew was vain and narcissistic. He would not be a good king when his time came. No matter how hard his father tried to mold him into a wise prince who cared about the people, he couldn’t.

He decided to hold a competition throughout the kingdom. Whoever possessed the most beautiful heart would be king. As the new year festival was happening, it was the perfect time to announce it. As people were gathered for the games and party, the Prince bore open his chest and proclaimed, “there can be no one here with a more beautiful heart than mine. Look at how perfect it is, nary a flaw, it is perfect! How can this not be the most beautiful one here, it courses with royal blood and is pure! Come forth anyone and challenge the evidence I display before you of my destiny to be king!”

The crowd gasped at the sight and knew they did not have such a perfect heart. No one would step forward and challenge him. As the king bowed his head in resignation as the new year neared, that his ploy had failed. He prepared to proclaim his unworthy son king.

Just as he was standing to ask if anyone else wished to step forward before proclaiming a victor, he saw a shuffling form moving thru the crowd towards the front. Upon seeing an old man step out and towards his son, his final hope sank.

Then the old man spoke up… “young prince, I see your perfectly shaped heart of royal blood and agree, it is perfect. However, it be not beautiful, for most everyone here once had a perfect heart. Perfect hearts are common. They reside in people who have never dared to live or love, even against terrible odds. Perfect does not mean beautiful.” He then bore open his chest and showed everyone his heart. It was scarred, it had bits missing in places, other bits that were mismatched and not fitting perfectly. “My heart is far more beautiful than yours, young prince.”

The prince and crowd gasped at its perceived ugliness. Soon the prince exclaimed, “How dare you defame this contest with such an ugly heart thinking you could be king, explain yourself or you shall be the first I sentence to death upon my coronation.”

The old man benignly smiled at the prince as he said, “look closely young prince. For each of these holes and mismatched pieces are the results of a full life. A life of joy and of pain, happiness and sadness, of taking chances against the odds, both winning and losing. My wife bore us three children, upon their birth, I plucked a piece of my heart for each and placed it on their young perfect hearts. As they grew and I taught them of this, only 2 plucked a piece from theirs and placed it in 2 of the holes in mine. The new pieces never fit perfectly, some too small, some too big, they leave a happy scar never the less. I failed the one child in some way and their love was not returned. That open wound may never be fully filled, but it is no less beautiful, it is life. It reminds me each day to love, even when not loved in return. My wife and I loved each other deeply, we exchanged pieces of our hearts that nearly fit perfectly, but like life, love is never perfect, so why should the pieces fit perfectly? Neither of us were perfect on the outside, so why should the inside be different, our love was pure. Dedicated to each other, while helping each other be our best selves. She has passed, but she shall always be with me. I will always be reminded even in the sad times, of the love we share. All these other pieces and holes are from friends and other family, both rewarding and heart breaking, from chances taken in a life, that I would trade for no other.” With this he reached into his chest and plucked a piece from his heart and placed it on the prince’s perfect heart. He then said, I never wished to become king, but I wished you to know how a truly beautiful heart can lead to a truly beautiful life, that while not perfect, you will never have reason in the end to regret it.”

With this said, he started to turn, to shuffle back into the crowd. The prince, tears in his eyes reached out tenderly and stopped him. Turning the old man back towards him he reached into his chest and plucked a piece from his heart and placed it into one of the holes in the old man’s. Then kneeling before the old man, he proclaimed, I would be honored to serve you oh king, in hopes that one day, I will be as wise as you. For crown or not, you have opened my eyes to the beauty in living fully.”  

This story is how I do my best to live. I can be hurt, sometimes easily. Sometimes people will know, other times, they will not. I will not quit loving those I care about, even if they have left me. A friend told me I don’t need to give a piece of myself to everyone, he’s wrong, I do. For even if someone leaves my life for their own or my reasons, they will always have a place in my heart. If they allow themselves to see it, they will know that they always will be loved. A piece of me is a small price to show others that they are worthy of being loved.

Keep Shining