We Need Never Be Ashamed of Our Tears
“Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before — more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle.”, wrote Charles Dickens in his novel Great Expectations.
For some reason the key words for me are “we need never be ashamed of our tears.” They grabbed me when I read the familiar line on an inspirational calendar. The entire quote came flooding into my mind and I Googled it to be sure I had it right. I did!
Look at and listen to those words: Blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts, better after I had cried, more sorry, more aware, more gentle. WOW! That’s a lot of accurate emotion crammed into one simple description. (that’s Charles Dickens, huh?!)
Crying is healthy. It’s a release. It helps us cope. As Dickens describes, “I was better after I had cried, than before…” After a good hard cry, I often do feel much better. Somehow the tears wash in healthier coping mechanisms, happier memories. And they (mostly) wash out whatever sadness, anger, grief, frustration caused them in the first place. During a good, hard cry (as opposed to a weepy, simple, wet eye experience), my entire body, my entire Being, is involved. Finally, at the end, I’m exhausted … and more gentle. I never thought about…
