August 09, 2010

Cry Yourself a River


I’ve always thought that if a movie doesn’t at least bring me to the edge of tears than it usually isn't worth watching, unless of course it's a really good comedy.  Generally I tend to be a bit of a crier, but I have hardly shed a tear lately. I thought I’d hit menopause and cry myself a river but so far this has happened only a handful of times. Which in one way has been a relief…if you know what I mean.  Still, having a good cry always makes me feel better, whether they are tears of sadness or of joy. My hunch is that I need to slow down long enough to cry. But, that’s a subject for another day, dear readers…

I thought I’d check out my favorite doctor, Christiane Northrup’s, take on crying.  In Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom she explains, “Crying is one of the ways in which we rid our bodies of toxins. Crying allows us to move energy around our body and sometimes to rechannel it or understand it a different way.”

I read elsewhere that crying releases harmful toxins and stress hormones. Suppressed emotions can make us feel depressed and need to be released. Crying is one of the healthiest ways to do this and it helps keep depression at bay. Tears lift our mood because they release endorphins (just like exercising, thank heavens) that act as mood elevators and painkillers. That’s why we feel so much better after a good cry. Crying relieves stress and helps calm us, as does laughter. We need both tears and laughter in our lives.

I also found some good quotes about crying:

  • To weep is to make less the depth of grief. - William Shakespeare

    • The sorrow which has no vent in tears may make other organs weep.  ~Henry Maudsley

      • Time engraves our faces with all the tears we have not shed.  ~Natalie Clifford Barney

        • Tearless grief bleeds inwardly.  ~Christian Nevell Bovee

          • The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea.  ~Isak Dinesen 

            And I leave you with this last one:

            • Let your tears come.  Let them water your soul.  ~Eileen Mayhew