It’s raining today, thankfully, and I remember hearing someone, once, liken rain to tears. I loved that image.

I love tears. I hate tears.

This past weekend, I participated in a year end retreat with The Monterey Bay Meditation Studio. In reflecting on 2021, I saw my trail of tears, within the context of the love and loss that I’ve experienced this year. 

Then, I saw a heartwarming performance of The Nutcracker yesterday and I cried. Not a gut wrenching cry but, rather, a burst of tears watching sweet children performing a beautiful ballet. My tears were my heart’s way of saying “I’m so moved.”

Why do many of us shy away from crying though? I’ve heard countless people say “I don’t want to cry” or “I need to stop crying” – I’ve said that, too, at times. But why? 

Are we afraid that, once we start, we’ll never stop? That, somehow, tears are a harbinger of danger…? Are tears only meant for sorrow or fear or scary things?  Are tears a sign of weakness vs strength (in fact a sign of vulnerability  and humanity)? What will others say if I cry?

Tears are our emotions come to life. I read that on an Instagram meme and it stayed with me. When we restrict our tears, whatever the root cause, we restrict our emotions and, to some degree, our full expression of life. 

In what ways may you have stifled your desire to express yourself through tears? What messages have you heard regarding what it means to cry? If your tears could talk, what would they say?