Studies tell us that about 33% of women cry at least one a week. I cried about 33 times last week.
Alright, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. However, crying is something that we are literally born with. I just happen to cry more often that others, giving the impression of your stereotypical and hormonal teenage girl. I can't begin to describe how many times I have been yelled by my parents or made fun of by my friends for my never ending streaks of tears on my cheeks. When I was a baby, I would cry whenever someone other than my mom lay a finger on me. When I went to pre-school, I cried for about an hour after my mom dropped me off. Last week, I cried twice because I could not understand my Statistics homework, and about another three times because I was having an argument with my parents. On Friday, I cried during my Chemistry test, solely because I thought I was not going to finish my test on time, then I cried because the test was difficult, and then I teared up on more time because my tears were blurring up my vision, and I thought I couldn't pass the test since I couldn't see the actual paper- so I cried three times during the same test. Sappy Disney movies, corny chick-flicks, serious and dramatic movies- I've cried through them all. If I'm being completely honest, it gives me stress to think that I haven't cried at least two times a week.
Also, crying just makes me feel better. After a good round of tears and hysterical weeping, I feel relaxed and more focused. I have better concentration, and always feel as if a huge weight has been lifted off my test. If I'm being even more honest, sometimes when I get extremely stressed, I cry just so that I can feel more refreshed and finish all my work that needs to be done.
So what makes us cry? Apart from dead puppies and empty wallets, there is actually a scientific reason for our tears. First of all, there are three types of tears- lacrimation (non-emotional) which consists of basal and reflex tears, and psychic tears. Lacrimation tears are formed from your body's lacrimal system- the water supply. To further break it down, basal tears are those formed when you blink to keep your eye hydrated. Basal tears have three layers: a thin mucus layer that sits directly on top of the eye, a watery layer in the middle, and a thin oily layer on top that keeps the tear from evaporating. Reflex tears are formed whenever you have something in your eye, or you are cutting an onion, this mechanism forms tears to clear out your eyes. Reflex tears also have three layers, but they have a larger watery portion and higher level of anti-bodies to stop harmful microorganisms. Psychic tears are a little more complicated. They are the tears formed in response to emotional situations, the tears that form when you are crying. What's really interesting is the fact that these tears actually contain stress hormones, mainly a hormone called leucine enkephaline, an endorphin and natural painkiller. These tears are the reason why we feel much better after a "good cry".
Without a doubt, there are the people that do not like to cry often and display their emotions, but for the ones that can't stop crying, be free and let-em-rip! Tears literally have painkillers to make us feel better, so feel pride in your tears. Whenever you feel that jolt of emotions, from joy or sorrow, let the noses flow and mascara streak, because crying is what keeps us (me) going through our phases in life.
