Not all tears are a sorrow.
Twice in the last week someone has reached out to me, and told me that something I have written has created such an emotional release in them that they cried.
While I am gratified that this work is helping people, I struggle with the concept of making someone cry, even though I know it has been a good thing.
Crying is a human universal constant. Despite the languages we speak, the creeds we profess, the circumstances of our birth or the burdens of our heart, all of us at some time cry.
We cry as a result of pain, frustration, sadness and loss. Yet we also cry in joy, as a response to a moment of immense satisfaction, at a time of great relief, and most powerfully, at a realization of a breakthrough.
If you’ve never been with someone at the moment of a profound breakthrough, I can tell you that it is one of the most life affirming, powerful and soul searing experiences you can live through.
I have been privileged in my work to see people reach new levels of awareness, and suddenly understand a truth that has eluded them for many years.
When you see another human being break out of their restrictions, and move into a greater level of understanding, it’s like seeing a soul born anew. To witness someone manifest a greater, kinder, more compassionate and more powerful awareness is a humbling thrill.
What better time to cry than at a birth, either that of the body, or at a new level of the soul?
Tears are really a sign that we are connecting with our deeper selves. Why we cry at times like this is still a mystery, but I like to think that tears of joy are a means of washing away the misunderstandings and fears that blind us to the possibility of all that we are.
Crying can be an emotional cleansing, releasing all the hurts and pains that we are carrying, allowing us to rejoin our journey lighter, easier, and with a greater sense of peace.
Some of the happiest people I know are also those who cry easily, and without shame or fear of judgment. Whether by ourselves, or in the company of others, crying can be one of the most intimate, open, honest and vulnerable actions we can undertake.
The next time you feel inclined to cry, I invite you to allow that feeling to wash over you, and allow your tears to cleanse you. Either to release the pain you feel, or to release the joy that can enlighten you, your tears wash the pathway into your future.
When we cry, we allow others a glimpse into our soul.
-- Dr.Alan Barnes
@maddrbmusings