THE GIFT OF TEARS

THE GIFT OF TEARS

“I don’t want to make you cry.”

What an odd comment to make.


One that echoed hollow in my ears over and over again during the weeks and months after my son passed away.  My timid response became,  

      “YOU are not making me cry.  I cry every day.  Let me cry.
        Cry with me.”

I was reminded of this recently as I told a story to a young woman and watched as her eyes overflowed.  I reached to wipe her tears away and I heard myself say,

     “I don’t want to make you cry.”

Quickly she pulled back and said,

     “Let me cry.  These are good tears.”

She was right.

When did tears become a bad thing?  Why is the outward flushing of feelings as they flow through our emotions looked at as something that should be stopped, hushed and hidden? 

Tears are gifts we exchange with others under all kinds of circumstances.

I gave mine freely to each of my babies as they came into this world.  Over the years they have given theirs to me when they needed guidance, support and comfort. 

I gave them to all who have supported me at funerals and mixed mine with theirs as our grief blended in comfort.

I have spilled them at weddings.

I have exploded them in the midst of laughter.

I have silently dropped them when the beauty of life has taken my breath away.

I have exposed them during times of emotional and physical pain.  In the same way a fever has heated my body to boil away the infection of illness tears have drenched the thirst of my pain.

Maybe it is time to realize that tears are given to us for a purpose. They are the eye drops of all emotions.  They are the flushing of our feelings; the happy ones and the sad ones.

The next time someone shares the gift of tears with you, let them cry.  Cry with them.  Accept – and offer - the gift of tears.  
                                                  ~~~~~~~
Pennie’s Life Lesson: "Tears are the outward flushing of feelings   
                                             as they flow through our emotions."

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