Long before the date of my birth was registered, much before my name was decided or even my existence was confirmed, my heart was beginning to form. It was then that it was introduced to the language of unconditional love.
The first language my heart ever knew was the language that allows a mother to be ready to carry an embryo. An embryo, before it is a foetus, a baby, a child, or an adult.
The language of unconditional love, a mother language from which other languages rise, is learnt by a heart in the primary stage of its formation.
A mother ready to carry a new life, ready to risk her life, ready for the challenges of seeing a child grow, shares the language of unconditional love with the new life.
As her body becomes aware of the changes, her language of unconditional love nurtures the embryo even more than the umbilical cord carrying oxygen, blood, and nutrition.
My heartbeat, that of the unborn child, synchronised with my mother’s heartbeat. This was music, the language of unconditional love.
I will carry this beat till my last breath, gently heard, keeping me going and calming me in stressful situations.
The heartbeat says, “Don’t race out of beat, don’t go slow, just hear the beat, the language of my unconditional love. This language will soothe you.”
The mother hums to the beat of her heart even when her body rejects food. This humming becomes the lullaby for the infant in the cradle.
Born and named, I cradle in her arms. My head on her chest hears the beat of her heart, the language of her unconditional love. It soothes, assures, and enables me to surrender my stress. I relax as I find assurance in this unconditional love.
My first fall, resulting in a scratch as I take mini steps, my pain is soothed as I run to place my little head on her chest. As I hear the beat of her heart, the language of unconditional love, the pain vanishes. The soothing brush of her hand conveys the first language of my heart.
Any discomfort, any ache, any need, my head hears the beat of the loving heart, the first language of my heart.
Over time, sounds begin to make sense and words begin to fall into place. Words turn into sentences. Words are translated, but no word in any language matches the sound of the heartbeat, the language of unconditional love.
The brain, the words, and the sentences begin to take prominence and convey emotions. Happiness, sadness, joy, grief, failure, achievements in words affect the beat, causing exhilaration or depression, swaying like a high-frequency pendulum from one end to the other. Yet it is the first language of my heart, the language of unconditional love, that normalises any situation.
Overpowered by a heavy dose of words, sketches, or sights, we tend to take the heartbeat, the language of unconditional love, for granted, forgetting it exists.
Then we are shocked in disbelief that everyone has ulterior motives. Words are measured and spoken to suit one’s needs. Words are used as weapons, leaving unseen wounds unhealed for a long time.
Nature works and provides the language of the heartbeat, the language of unconditional love, as a healing touch.
We find this not only in humans but in air, water, plants, and animals, which also provide it selflessly.
Let the wind caress your face. Let the water wash away the tears. The ache is subdued and finally diminishes.
Hug a tree, smell a flower, touch a leaf, carry a pet, embrace the wild. The language of unconditional love, the first language of my heart, surrounds me and I am at rest.
My weary body, mind, and soul come into harmony. To calm this turbulence of rising tides and sinking ripples, all I need is a heartbeat, my first mother language, a rhythmic beat, not a word.
Give me a heart-music chord, the first language of my heart that I heard through the umbilical cord.
If this reflection resonated with your heart, share your thoughts below and tell me what your “first language of love” feels like to you.
– Madhu Mehrotra
About The Writer:
Madhu Mehrotra is a prolific writer and thoughtful storyteller whose literary works reflect the simplicity of hill life, human emotions, and social consciousness. She has authored several notable books, including:
- Of Hills N Vales – Articles reflecting life in the hills
- Turbulence and Tranquility in Trains – Experiences and emotions of train travel
- The Child in Us – Childhood memories and reflections
- Gems of Short Fiction – Short stories exploring various emotions
- Where The Rhododendron Blooms – Poetry on nature and its beauty
- All Weather Tales – Stories spanning diverse themes
- The Bridge And Other Stories – Urban fantasy and human relationships
- Affectionate Echoes – A Romantic Anthology, Volume I – Nuances of love and romance
- In Pursuit of Perseverance – Tales of determination and resilience
Through her writing, she brings alive the lives of ordinary people, the beauty of nature, and the heartfelt stories that connect us all.
She says, “I have lived my life in the hills — fleeting, serene, here today, gone tomorrow.”
