Sisterhood: The power in a tear

 
“There is sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.” 
Washington Irving
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The strength of a woman can be found in her essence. All women are born with this inner strength; it is in her connection to the universe that a constant flow of strength, motivation, humbleness and ability to breathe new life is realized.  Some women simply don’t know of their full potential, and/or choose not to utilize it. Sometimes we may question our “womanly ways”, why do we behave the way we do? Why are women so emotionally invested?

It may take us a long time to discover this inner strength and understand its meaning; sometimes it takes a number of failed relationships or constantly hearing the word “no”. At times we become weakened; emotionally and mentally drained.  Have you ever experienced that feeling of weakness? The one where you felt like you could go no more; then you cried, and confided in a good friend.  Now when you look back on that experience, and to be specific that moment of weakness your emotions are totally different, and your reaction is more like “I can’t believe I felt that way”. We’ve all been there before. Women! We were all born with that inevitable strength masked by an emotional wall. It took me many life experiences to discover who I am and understand my purpose as a woman.  Take a look back at a time in your life when you did something for the lack of a better judgment, or think about your most embarrassing moment. You were pretty upset with yourself, weren’t you? Maybe it was a few years ago or just yesterday but it is ok, breathe!
It is only for the strength of a woman -my knowingness of and connection to the creator that I was able to learn from my experiences and move forward in life, rather than fall victim to them. I realized at some point that tears were magical because it was always after a lengthy cry that I felt rejuvenated.  Well it’s been proven tears are magical; given to us “exclusively to use whenever it is needed”. On average women cry 47 times a year and men cry a whopping 7 times! It was definitely meant to be that way; what women accomplish through tears men do through sweat. That explains everything!
Women it is ok to cry; emotional tears are thought to help us in difficult times by allowing us to express our feelings thus relieving tension and stress. Biochemist and “tear expert” Dr. William Frey at the Ramsey Medical Center in Minneapolis discovered that reflex tears are 98% water; on the other hand emotional tears contain stress hormones and other toxins which accumulate during stress and are excreted from the body through tears. This is one of the many reasons we feel much better after a good cry. Additional studies also suggest that crying stimulates the production of endorphins, which are our body’s natural pain killer and “feel-good” hormones.” Crying was meant to make us feel better, even when a problem persists. In addition to physical detoxification, emotional tears heal the heart. You don’t want to hold tears back although those delicate droplets may ruin our makeup!
A tiny tear also has the power to bring together a community and usher a sense of belongingness in an individual. You’re probably wondering how. Well if you ever walked by a crying woman in the park would you react? Would you stop and offer to help or would you continue walking but wonder and hope that her day turns out for the best? The support of others through critical times in our lives is just that which helps us get through. The emotional intimacy allows one to feel loved and develop a sense of belonging which in turn builds communication and foster community.

Author: Ilka Harrigan