An interesting and kind of annoying thing has happened to me over the last few years. I have become sappy. I find myself fighting back tears all the time. OK maybe not all the time but way more than I used to. I don't remember crying a lot as a kid. I remember crying a few times as a teen. At high school graduation, when my dad suggested I'd not be able to buy a lottery ticket on my 18th birthday because I did not have ID (talk about overreacting) when my aunt passed a way and over a few boys not being interested in me. In my early twenties not too many tears were shed. But enter late twenties early thirties and I'm just a weeping wuss. I've always been the type to cry if others were crying but now it seems like I cry at books, TV shows, commercials, good stories sad stories, memories, accomplishments and everything else. I've cried work, at home, at church and in the car. It's ridiculous!!!
I'm really good at hiding it though. I don't think most people have realized how often I cry. If you have just pretend you haven't there's no need to talk about. That would likely lead only to more annoying tears. My best stop tears now technique is the quick gulp of water, soda or whatever other beverage is handy. Works like a charm in most cases.
But don't feel bad, like I said the tears are not always sad even if they are annoying. A happy thought is just as likely to bring on the water works.
Recently I read something that has made me feel much better about my sniffling. For the past few months I have been reading Joyce Meyer's book Living Beyond Your Feelings that was given to me by a friend on my last birthday. In the section Handling Loss Joyce talks about crying. She talks about how the tears released in response to an emotional trigger contain different hormones then say the tears released when you get something in your eye, peel an onion, or have an allergy attack. The hormones in the crying tears are related to the release of stress. The stress hormones that build up in the body can be released when you cry. So now I don't feel so bad about the tears. With each drop I am releasing a little stress.
So that makes me wonder is my life more stressed than I was when I was younger??? Maybe a little. But I also think it has more to do with I just don't have the energy to try and hide my emotions any more. It is just too hard and not worth the trouble. That energy is better spent building honest relationships and Chasing Joy.
Now with that being said I still stand by my no crying at work rule. But, I know that's not always possible so go for the gulping water technique first then head for the bathroom stall. Shed a few to release the stress then put your game face back on and head out.
So, next time you are trying to fight back tears maybe you should let them flow. We all know stress kept in can be harmful. Maybe the stress released in your tears can be good for your health. Maybe a few tears shed now means grasping Joy sooner than later.
Do you remember the last time you cried? Did you feel better or calmer after?
