Being Tender

We walk around exposed to pain. Our flesh is on the outside, just waiting to be hurt. We walk around exposed to all the thorns, rocks, and other things or people who wish to injure us. Some animals have shells on the outside, protecting them. We don't. Our soft bodies are just open to everything.
This seems pretty silly. But the thing is, it lets us feel everything else, too. We can feel the beautiful things, like a baby's skin, or rose petals, or mud. That is worth all the pain.
So it is with hearts. We have a choice. We can harden our hearts and build an exoskeleton to protect ourselves from pain, or we can allow ourselves to be tender and vulnerable. I personally think the last option is best, because I want to be happy.