Open heart surgery presents unique challenges. The heart, which some would say is the cradle of the soul as well as an exposed muscular organ. Does the essence of experiencing the heart during surgery change us permanently? Maybe we will never know. Yet we can surely recognize that the very existence of open-heart surgery, in all its aspects, is a miracle. This is my personal experience that I had to face at a very young and weak age. My heart story… I was diagnosed with a condition so minor that it should never have interfered with my life. I believed for years that my heart defect, a slight structural shift in the valve, would never become symptomatic, would never prevent me from doing all that lay ahead in my future. In fact, I continued to live a personally productive life with my low levels well into my childhood. During that time I was not what one would call spiritually conscious. My parents didn't look very deeply. They didn't ask the big questions. I had no religious inclinations. My parents were busy, busy raising a family, getting over my grandfather's death, and selling one of our four businesses. Then, at age four, two years after my parents sold our business and bought another, I had my first irregular heartbeat. The problem, called who knows what, was not serious. My parents reassured me and it responded quickly to a standard medication. All in all I still considered myself a very healthy person. My parents and siblings helped me meditate, but as a child I didn't really know what to do. All I did was cross my legs and breathe deeply and hear my heartbeat, my heartbeat was the sound of something unfortunate. This had proudly changed my life… halfway through the paper… and next… I had the surgery. Luckily everything went great. At first I had some negative points. I was unable to walk, talk, especially laugh. My chest hurt even when I breathed. It took a while for this whole situation to heal. My life after this was normal. I didn't have a bad kid period or anything like that. My whole childhood had a different perspective. I actually went out and played with all the other kids. I enjoyed my childhood years. My healing... I'm 16 now and feel no pain. I just have a scare under my left breast. You can't see it at all. I am happy with my recovery. Many people like me have a bad child with minor or major problems, but they grow up to be a normal human being with no problems. Life is hard at first, but we all have to make a living somehow.