“But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small.”

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, by Dr. Seuss

I have the opposite problem of the Grinch. Rather than having a heart two sizes too small, mine seems to be three sizes too big.

I feel everything intensely. When I’m sad, I’m despondent. When I’m happy, I’m overjoyed. And rarely am I feeling just one emotion. It’s like I am feeling every emotion possible at the highest level, all at once.

When I sense others I care about are in pain, I feel it too in a way. And not just emotionally. I often feel it so intensely that I feel physical pain in my chest. It’s like all of the pain of the world is sitting on my over-sized heart.

In the end, the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes bigger. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if I could shrink my heart a few sizes. It can be extraordinarily painful to feel everything so much.

But, alas, I cannot shrink my heart. So, my best bet is to make peace with it and welcome the feelings as they come. Maybe one day I’ll learn to love them.

Morgan