What makes you cry?

"A woman wears her tears like jewelry." ~Author Unknown

I am deviating from all the blog posts I have told myself I'll post and writing something completely random...

I have a confession. I am a cryer. There. I've said it. I am a genuine, true blue "bawl bag." For the most part, I don't think I'm weak, extremely fragile, overly sensitive, or totally irrational. I have my moments but I did include a caveat at the beginning of the last sentence! I'm just VERY affected and moved to the point of tears about LOTS of things. Just this week I have cried at a few things--including hearing my Chinese born daughter singing, "Red, White, & Blue" the song they sang in preschool about the flag and hearing her chant "I am Proud to be an American and live in the USA." I cried as I watched Charlotte's Web--not just because of the story but because of the beautiful, breathtaking scenery, and the one that surprised me the most was boo-hooing at an OnStar commercial. I've lost it at Hallmark commercials and phone commercials but I was genuinely stunned when I found myself crying as I listened to a commercial of a panic-stricken mother calling OnStar to let them know she had locked her keys in her car with her young child. Some people could be all judgmental and think she was an idiot but as a mom I know things can happen in a blink of an eye and my heart hurt for that mom, so I cried for her. Subsequently, Don and Lindy both looked at me like I was a lunatic.

So I got to thinking about some of the times I cry and thought I'd fly my flag and list a few:

• I cry EVERY time I watch Sleepless in Seattle.
• Along with that, I cry at Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride 2 and MANY other movies--still.
• I cry at Taylor Swift's song "Love Story." Ha! You thought it was going to be "Teardrops on my Guitar!"
  
• I cry when I read I Love You Like Crazy Cakes, Shaoey & Dot:Bug Meets Bundle, and Love You Forever. Show me that blue cover of Love You Forever at a baby shower and I'm already digging through my purse searching for a tissue.
  
• I often choke back mega tears during an airplane landing (somewhere else other than coming home). Not really sure why. I think it is either because I am about to see a loved one I haven't seen in a while or I am usually going somewhere with some beautiful scenery and I'm overcome by seeing God's handiwork such as the mountains, ocean, lush greenery, fall colors...
• I cry when I see a bride.
• I cry when I hear beautiful and powerful music.
  
• I cry when we sing "10, 000 Angels," "Precious Memories," and "Because He Lives" at church because they really stir my emotions. The first song paints such a vivid account in my mind of Jesus' death that I really feel like I am there witnessing the horrific event that has given me life.
  
• I cry when I see dead animals. I don't necessarily lose it when I see the mushed up armadillos or possums but a dead deer, dog, or cat makes me sad to the point of tears.
• I cry each time I see pictures/videos of adoptive parents meeting their child for the first time.
• I cry when I watch a live production of something. It isn't always because what I'm watching is sad, really powerful, or life-changing. I think I'm in a heightened emotional state of excitement and awe over the talent I'm witnessing and then I'm overcome. It happened during Mary Poppins last year and Disney on Ice this year. Tinker Bell, really??? Strange? Wait. Don't answer that.
  
• I cry when I see the flag, a military ceremony, and military homecomings.
• I cry at goodbyes.
  
• I cry when I see beautiful things and think about people who are beautiful to me.
  
• I cry when I think about my memories of tree-lined streets during autumn. The colors, smells, sounds are so vivid in my mind. I guess I always loved that scene because I even wrote a poem about that very thing when I was in 8th grade.
• I cry when I think about how kind and generous so many people have been in my life and the many times I've received true sacrificial love.
  
• I cry when I try to do something and fail. In school it was math. In adulthood it has usually been a craft or kitchen blunder. I have a yummy, to die for chocolate chip shortbread cookie recipe that my friend Megan gave me years ago. I still haven't mastered that recipe but one day Don won't find me in the corner of the kitchen curled up in a ball crying and all my friends will feast on proper butter-filled shortbread that isn't in shards.
  
• I cry when I think about the hardships people have had to endure and continue to endure and I cry more when I realize that I'm so blessed but don't do a banner job showing God and people around me that I'm thankful.
• I think, therefore I cry. If I let my mind wander too far about a lot of things, I cry.

There have been times I've been kind of ashamed at how easy it is for me to cry. Through the years, though, I've learned that is how God constructed me and I'm okay with it. It is kind of part of who I am. I try not to judge people who don't cry a lot and hope that those people don't judge me.

Now that my remaining 3.2 readers are scrambling to remove this blog from their blog list or unfriend me on Facebook, I'm kind of curious to hear what makes you cry...

Sealed with a salty kiss~
L.