People who know me in person know that I love very old books, and very old stories. (Though people exist who are nerdier than I. True story: years ago while on a first or second date with a beautiful Ancient Literature major, I was describing an 8th century passage from Bede. When I was done, my date looked me dead in the eye, waved her hand faux-dismissively and said "Oh that is so A.D.". We become fast friends.)
I think the reason I love old books and old stories is that they confirm for me that our strongest emotions, our hopes, our tragedies, our fears, and our passions are as old as human history. We are not alone in our triumph, or suffering, or joy, and we share those things with every human that has come before us. Collectively, all that makes us human is timeless.
I'm thinking very much of my mom and dad tonight. My dad's not a poetic guy (unless it's a dirty limerick), but when I have occasionally gotten him alone and persuaded him to talk about his beginning with mom, his voice gets soft and he recounts those first feelings like a man relating the story of a miracle that only he was witness to.
In the 13th century "La Vita Nuova", Dante describes a dream he had just after meeting Beatrice. In the passage, he has fallen asleep while thinking of her, and in his dream-state, God speaks to him. The main gist of the exchange is God telling him "Look into your heart... see your heart", and Dante awakes with the echoing thought: "See my heart/Look into my heart" ("Vide cor meum" in Latin)
The link above is a gorgeous aria/duet by Patrick Cassidy based on that passage of Dante.
See your heart.
