As we grow and mold into the person we are meant to be, we may lose people along the way. At almost 22 years of age, I've lost friends, broken up with old boyfriends, fought with loved ones and forged new relationships. These scenarios are pretty normal, but can truly affect each person differently based off of how sensitive that person is. I am an emotional person. Those who don’t know me might not realize this by looking at me, but it is part of who I am. I feel every emotion to the extreme. My first memory of this is of myself crying in the fifth grade while we watched the movie “Tuck Everlasting”. I looked around and realized none of my peers were crying, and there I was, sobbing into the sleeve of my sweatshirt. It was at that moment that recognized, I am a crier.
Even today, as a senior in college, I find myself crying tears of joy, anger, sadness and even stress, all within the same week. To me, this is normal. I am an emotional person, and I don’t know how to be anything else. I cry when I watch YouTube videos of military homecomings or surprise proposals. I don’t usually know these people personally, so you might think I’m crazy. But I genuinely cannot help it. I feel for them.
I didn't realize that other people don’t experience their emotions the same way I do, until I was in high school. It took a few catfights with other girls, name calling and a melodramatic breakup with a not-so-nice-guy, to make me realize this concept. A poet named David Jones once wrote,
This poem, though short, truly resonated with me. That quote is me. I would, and still do, every so often, get into an argument with someone and walk away from it extremely upset. I get my feelings hurt by words that others might not blink twice at. At first, I couldn't decide if this was a good or a bad thing. I don’t want people thinking I’m a cry-baby, or that I can’t stand up for myself. I am the first person to argue for something I believe in. I just cannot believe the extent people will go to get their point across. How far, I wonder, is too far? We must consider this concept when speaking to one another. You may not think what you’re saying is offensive, or hurtful, but it may come across that way. Think about this before you slaughter someone with your words. They might take it harder than you think.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think being emotional is a bad thing at all! There are many positives to being in touch with your emotions. People who express their feelings tend to be more passionate about their goals. They are great listeners and often great friends. They also, in my experience, tend to care deeply for their family and loved ones. So if you’re an emotional person, be proud, because just as your feelings can be hurt, you can feel happiness and love to that same extreme. So as one of my favorite people, Ellen DeGeneres would say; “Be kind to one another.”
