Who would have thought that those little wet droplets that gather in the corner of your eyes and cascade down your checks could do so much for your body and soul? Tears. Though they appear the same on the outside, the chemical makeup, the stuff they are made of, is quite different.
The everyday tear that keeps your eye lubricated is called a basal tear. This type of tear protects the eye by keeping it moist. The reflex tear is different than the basal tear. The reflex tear is shed when you have something in your eye or you have just peeled an onion. Any irritant in the eye is washed out by a reflex tear with a unique chemical make-up. The third type of tear is an emotional tear. This tear is triggered by strong feelings. This type of tear has yet a different chemical balance than either the basal or the reflex tear. Even though the tear is a tiny droplet, combined, tears perform very specific functions for your human body.
When you began to live with grief in your life, you became very familiar with tears. You found yourself shedding wild tears, sobbing tears, tears of frustration, tears of adoration and silent tears of exhaustion. Tears have become part of life. There are times when you let them flow freely and times when you dabbed them away quickly.
Emotional tears contain a stress hormone. When shed these tears help bring the body back into balance. The chemical make-up of these tears also contains natural pain killers. They have a soothing effect; they release toxin and stress and aid in sleep. Shedding emotional tears is very beneficial when you are living with grief in your life. Emotional tears could be your cue to explore a little deeper and become curious. These tears could be your invitation to allow the tears to flow, cleansing your mind and soul. The invitation is to allow yourself to BE in your grief, live it and feel it.
Washington Irving had this to say about tears; “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently that ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief…and unspeakable love.”
The next time you feel the sting of tears in your eyes, allow them to flow and cleanse. You are not weak but powerful. You are one that chose to love another. You have a right to shed sacred tears. You are living with grief in life.
Comments