Tears

The flow of tears is evidence of sorrow in prospect of approaching death in (Psalms 39:12; 2 Kings 20:5; Isaiah 38:5), and of the suffering consequent on oppression in (Ecclesiastes 4:1), defeat in battle in (Isaiah 16:9), or hopeless remorse, as with Esau in (Hebrews 12:17, probably referring to Genesis 27:34).

Jesus taught, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh” (Luke 6:21). “Those who mourn shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). As David put it, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). "Tears are prayers too. They travel to God when we can't speak" (Psalm 56:8).

Tears are a gift of grace from God, and their fruit is always joy. Weeping arises from the heart and signifies an open and softened heart. Perhaps that is why so many people are embarrassed to cry; they do not want to reveal their vulnerability.

“Tears are the work of God in you,” says Padre Pio.

Pope Francis says, “the gift of tears prepare the eyes to look, to see the Lord.” “It is a beautiful grace to weep praying for everything: for what is good, for our sins, for graces, for joy itself… it prepares us to see Jesus.” he says,

“Tears are God's gift to us. Our holy water. They heal us as they flow.” Rita Schiano

"Tears of joy" refers to crying when there has been a psychological gain, not a loss. The dynamic explanation of the phenomenon is that the need to repress sadness is lifted because of the gain; genetically the crying is over past losses.

Crying is a way to release all of those feelings and let them out. Tears of happiness, also known as “tears of joy,” happen when someone feels a deep sense of emotional vulnerability. Ultimately, happy tears can be a sign of emotional vulnerability, but they can also be a sign of strength and resilience.

When God's people are brought into a restored world, “Tears of joy will stream down their faces,” God says, and I will lead them home with great care” (Jeremiah 31:9).

It is common to temporarily produce excess tears when you are emotional, laughing, coughing, vomiting, experiencing strong taste sensations, or yawning. One of the most prevalent reasons for watery eyes is dry eye syndrome.

The act of crying has been defined as "a complex phenomenon characterized by the shedding of tears from the lacrimal apparatus, without any irritation of the ocular structures", instead, giving a relief which protects from conjunctivitis.

No tear shed means that you have no more tears that need to be shed. It is time to move on and shed away the layer of your life that is making you upset. Fix the issue or just find something to make you better!

The inability to shed tears may be medical or emotional. Medical reasons include dry eye syndrome, Sj?gren's disease, and certain medications. Emotional reasons include depression with melancholia and anhedonia.

Tears are indeed a complicated matter!

Rabbits and goats don't have tear ducts, as well as all aquatic mammals. Although only humans can produce emotional tears, animals produce tears to moisturize the cornea and wash away any irritants that may be present.

Crocodile tears, or superficial sympathy, is a false, insincere display of emotion such as a hypocrite crying fake tears of grief or joy.

Often crying in front of other people makes them feel uncomfortable. In formal situations tears are associated with embarrassment and disappointment or considered manipulative. Crying person is approached as weak. By doing so, the therapeutic, communicative and cathartic role of crying is being missed and ignored.

From the social point of view crying indicate a need of help and support from others, that in consequence create a space for closer and empathetic interpersonal relations. Crying serves as a message tool evoking help from others. It distress and encourage group behavior, improve social support and inhibit aggression.

In the other words - crying can be understood as asking for support. Crying appears to be universally a strong social stimulus.

However, according to psychologists Jay S. Efran and Timothy J. Spangler, even though crying is considered a healthy behavior, there is a social taboo related to it.

There appears to be a stigma attached to crying, since crying is often associated with a frantic reaction instead of its communicative and cathartic role.

This critical reflection on tears is an important matter, which, according to modern societal views must be used for anthropocentric purposes…

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Food for thought!