Lobster Heart

My wife told me that lobsters never stop growing. Scientists call this indeterminate growth. Lobsters grow through molting; they shed their hard exoskeleton, leaving them as an exposed lump of jello before eventually hardening again. Around 10 to 15% of lobsters die in this process. Either they can't escape their old skin, or a predator finds them at their most vulnerable. For the survivors, their new shell hardens, and they experience another year or two of growth before the next molt arrives.

No one knows how long lobsters can live, and the longer they live, the larger they grow. When they molt, they leave behind evidence of their past life and become completely new. I want my heart to be like a lobster: shed the protective covering, accept that I feel like jello for a while, and then grow one size bigger.

No one knows how big hearts can get, either.