I'll be the first to admit that I cry. A lot. Probably an outrageously absurd amount. My eyes start to sting if someone raises their voice at me and my throat tightens up if someone teases me and it hits a little too close to home. Sometimes I'll think back on memories, good or bad, and I'll weep a little bit. Yes, I'm also that person that intentionally listens to sad songs, even when I know all too well that they'll make me a blubbering mess of tears. While my body simply refuses to cry in front of most everyone-the very few exceptions being family and deeply loved ones- I can say that I've spent far too many moments alone shedding my fair share of tears. I'm not afraid to tell the world that I am one hundred percent, without a doubt, a crybaby.

And that's perfectly OK.

Crying isn't bad; it's not something to be embarrassed about or ashamed of. I see it as a great release, a floodgate of raw emotion that most of us have been conditioned to hide or subdue. Women have always been taught that they need to look and seem presentable and put together, to not be so emotional or "overdramatic" because it won't be appealing to others. Men have had it beaten into their heads for years that they must be strong, sure of themselves, confident and even sometimes cold. Crying apparently doesn't exude these qualities for some people.

For me, and for so many others, crying is not a sign of weakness, but rather an example of emotional availability. It's a total openness to the world around you. It's a deep vulnerability that should be treated as something precious and cardinal.

People are allowed to be upset; all of us are allowed to have moments when we feel like our worlds are falling apart, that nothing is going right for us, or that we are defeated. Every person in this world will have moments of doubt, of anguish, of grief- only we are in charge of how we express our frustrations, not anyone else. Even in our moments of deepest joy, tears shouldn't be seen as silly, but seen as a testament to how truly happy we are.

It does not make a man any less of a man if he needs to cry it out. It doesn't make any woman irrational or whiny if she needs to vent or let out her emotions. I feel that those who disagree are simply closed minded and archaic in their thinking.

To cry is to show strength; that I am strong enough to have dealt with whatever is causing me distress, strong enough to admit it to myself and be open, and strong enough to not let it control me or hold me back

I may be a crybaby. That's OK! I'm proud of it. I'm not afraid to show my true feelings and you shouldn't be either.