What's Wrong With Crying?

Okay, please allow me to set up the scene for you- so, I was watching a television show that had a  tearful mom who was driving while having a tearful discussion with a friend of hers in the passenger seat. The mother’s beautiful daughter was in the backseat with a car seat of course in tow. The story progresses and the mother continues to cry and then the daughter says “mommy, stop crying!” The mother tells the little girl “I’m not crying. Mommy’s happy.” Sniff...sniff…

End scene.

This interaction became etched in my brain since last week.

So, I ask you to ponder this. When did it become not okay to cry?

As seen in the reality show, the mother was essentially lying to her daughter and therefore making it not okay to have emotions. I think that was a missed opportunity for training. Now, I know that this may seem a bit harsh or blunt. But it is a topic like this that will get me going!

I truly believe that TEARS AR HEALING.

I believe that one should honor her feelings. Her true, authentic, feelings. If you are sad, be sad in that moment. If you are happy, be happy, in that moment. Just be you, in that moment.

I wish the mother would have said “Honey, mommy is crying and that’s okay. Mommy is a little sad right now. But I will be just fine. I love you.”

Something likes that. It allows for the mother to share with the daughter openly, while being age appropriate. I think the little girl was no more than three years old.

Then I thought about how lucky I am and how grateful I am that I get to share in a person’s experience of crying and then realizing that in the very next moment, things typically feel different after a good cry.

The energy shifts and you can literally clear yourself with a good cry. And then owning that cry. In other words, allowing the cry to come from within and allowing yourself to just be.

I get to see that and share in that space when people come to me to feel better. When I am sitting there listening and cheering for them on the inside and letting the cheers out as appropriate. I get to help women work through their pain and feel better.

So, I thank the mom from last week for reminding me that there is still more work for all of us to do. To be willing to have that cry and let it out, and own it, and say “yeah, I feel sad right now.” This too shall pass.

Namaste