my stolen heart

“i'll steal your heart and set it free / tear down the walls that would surround you / i may hold you close to me / but these ties will never bind you” (gloria estefan, steal your heart)

saturday was prom night in our school. now, i’m not really keen on attending parties and formal functions; but i’m glad i came. i learned a thing or two about love that night.

one of my students, ray, broke up with his girlfriend rica on valentine’s week. i saw rica crying in one corner of the classroom. she was really hurt. she dreaded being loveless on vday. she thought about what her friends would say. she didn’t want pity. she didn’t want to be talked about as “the girl whose boyfriend dumped her.” she worried about prom night.

so imagine my surprise when, last saturday, i saw ray and rica going to the prom venue together. i knew ray asked her to be his date as early as december last year (well, of course, that time, that was just to be expected); but i didn’t expect them to still go through with it after the breakup.

ray danced with rica. he also danced with others. rica didn’t. she could, if she wanted to. after all, they were no longer a “couple.” no demands. no commitment. no expectations. but still, she just sat there, with her other friends. not dancing.

my heart went out to her. i knew how she must hurt deep inside; but she managed to act normally. she could still smile.

i had to wonder to myself, “how could she bear to see him with other girls now? how could she still continue to sit there and wait for him in spite of what he’d done to her?” she must really love him that much.. to still support him after all the hurt he’s caused her. it was illogical. it was irrational. and i wanted to tell rica to just go look for someone more deserving of her affection.

that night, i was reminded of Someone else whose love i could not understand. Someone who loved me so completely and unconditionally.. who never stopped caring for me no matter how many times i’ve hurt Him. He loved me so deeply and so passionately.. yet so quietly, too. He would sit silently beside me.. waiting for me to come back to Him.. always letting me know that i’d have Him to turn to, no matter how far i’ve wandered and strayed.

His is the love that steals my heart away. and though He always holds me close, His love does not suffocate. instead, it is a love that allows me to inflict pain.. to feel hurt.. to slowly grow.. and to learn to love truly.

i let Him steal my heart away. will you let Him steal yours? ü