When I was a kid, the last thing I wanted to do was cry. Crying felt weak, powerless, embarrassing, vulnerable. I swallowed my tears when they came. I blocked my emotions from rising to the top. I thickened my skin to avoid any risk. I pretended to always be "fine".
But now, I cry all the time. Not because I forgot how to protect myself, but because I learned it's important to cry. I cry when I'm feeling lonely. I cry when I get my feelings hurt. I cry when I'm stressed out. I cry when I'm pissed off. It feels GOOD to acknowledge the things that touch my heart.
There's an eastern tradition I marvel at...
This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Consider now! Call for the wailing women to come; send for the most skillful of them. Let them come quickly and wail over us till our eyes overflow with tears and water streams from our eyelids.
Call for the wailing women to come. What?!?! That's right. Women who are SKILLED at wailing. They herald the sadness. They usher in repentance. They raise up the emotions that so many of us have buried deep. And they do this to help us feel our pain and acknowledge the harm done. The full experience of emotions can be the beginning of healing.
Unsplash photo cred: Leyre