Crying is so therapeutic.

I like how after crying, that burden or tightness in your chest just releases, if not completely, at least to an extent. Another thing that has this effect is a long, warm hug (post for one day).

This is why I am learning to embrace crying.

You see, instead of having a burdened heart and a tight chest, I could cry and there’s relief. There’s a relief I’m not sure anything could have given me at that moment, maybe a warm hug, which could trigger tears 😭

God is wise to have put the tearing mechanism in place.

Getting relief from crying is not just my opinion but science actually backs this up.

You see, researchers have established that crying releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, also known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals help ease both physical and emotional pain (source: Harvard Health).

Here’s the thing. I’m not someone to cry easily. Crazily, I cry for movies, I could cry when I’m worshipping and all that stuff but when it comes to being hurt or having a burden in my heart, I don’t cry easily.

For me to cry, it must have been really deep or I must have harbored it so much and one day I burst out crying even for the most inconsequential thing. Experience has taught me that most times when I cry because of something insignificant, the tears are simply buildups of past issues finding expression in crying.

Story time. I remember one time in school I was feeling tired and maybe depressed and all. I badly wanted to cry but it never came. It went on for weeks but nothing.

One day I was watching an Indian movie (Indian movies have a way of making you cry), and I started crying. I could have cried appropriately for the movie and that would have done it right?

But no. I cried like a baby, I was bawling my eyes out and sniffing and all that stuff that I even closed my laptop just to properly cry. Clearly, that was an overreaction to the movie but I knew the movie just helped me let the tears out and my whole body needed to cry properly to get myself back. It was such a relief, I felt so much better after.

Crazy right? But I know others experience this, I can’t be the only one. Am I?

Some days I want to cry, but crying just eludes me. Then there are days I don’t want those tears dropping, and then they flood my eyes.

I don’t understand these things sometimes.

It’ll be great to cry when I want to and not cry when I don’t want to.

Crying is like a painkiller. The relief from crying helps, and this is why you should cry too.

If you have a reputation to hold, perhaps you’re a hard guy or hard girl, it’s okay to cry, just don’t let people see you. You can form hard guy or hard girl for others but be sincere enough to not form for yourself.

You’re welcome.