Thank you for Tears and La-cry-mation

Crocodiles don’t really cry.

The one in Rudyard Kipling’s story was just pretending.

Maybe elephants cry, maybe chimpanzees, maybe harp seals, or other vertebrates do cry.

I have seen some animals exercise their tear ducts. At the time, I was almost certain it was associated with more than eye washing, but I can not know because they could not tell me.

Most scientists say that humans are the only animals that cry “emotional” tears.

They probably never had a dog.

And they definitely didn’t see that documentary about elephants returning to burial grounds, probably never heard a baby mammal that was separated from it’s mother either.

Again, I can not know.

Humans definitely cry. (well, most of us)

It amazes me how that works.

Sometimes I cry for no good reason. It just sneaks up on me.

Once, I was sitting in the second row of an auditorium listening to Tibetan monks chant. I was so awed by the vibration of their voices that I didn’t even notice I was crying until twenty minutes worth of tears started falling onto my lap.

Sometimes I cry for very good reasons.

I am no cry baby, but I can be moved to tears when there is immense beauty involved.

I cry when my feelings are hurt or when I observe pain in others.

I cry when I laugh so hard that I almost can’t stand it.

I cry when I feel powerless to help someone who is suffering.

I cry when I get angry or feel limited.

I cry when I mourn;

Loss of  loved ones

Loss of dignity

Loss of humanity that I have sometimes observed in our culture.

I especially cry at the loss of my own innocence—when I learn something new that pushes me past an idealistic notion which I was attached to.

I also cry when I paint, sometimes.

That is where lacrymation and creativity combines to free me from some of those other things that make me cry.

Tears are what we use to wash our heart.

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~ by leakelley on July 29, 2013.