DISQUS

JulieG · 12 months ago

I've cried a lot over the last two months or so. I got hired at a new job, part-time, about six months ago. Two months ago, I made the switch to full-time. It's my first full-time job that's going to last more than a summer.

I really, really miss being in control of my schedule. I miss school and the intellectual stimulation that comes from it. Even though I enjoy what I'm doing at work, I hate the idea that I've got to sit at my desk 40 hours a week.

So... that's why I've been crying lately. I'm hoping things get easier.

pearl_mattenson · 12 months ago

Julie - I totally relate. I wonder if those tears are about really needing to mourn the stage of life that is now ending-before you can fully enter into the new one.Good luck!

L'Tanya · 12 months ago

Hearing a man talk passionately about his feelings for his wife and children hits me every time. I also cry because I don't hear that from my man.

pearl_mattenson · 12 months ago

Okay L'Tanya- I would love to sit down and cry with you.

pearl_mattenson · 12 months ago

Highly unusual to be the first commenter on your own post- I know. But I just had to share this. I was sitting in Whole Foods this morning looking at a placard that advetised their "Giving & Entertaining" guide and I started to cry! Okay. I gave myself some time to follow the path and realized that I have been so stuck in a scarcity mode that I wasnt doing a lot of giving. I walked up to the marketing manager and offered free coaching sessions in their store through the holiday season. It felt so good to give. Those tears were a gift this morning.

DanielleLaPorte · 12 months ago

Pearl, this is such a great piece. We could all do with paying attention to the tears that even a TV commercial evokes. Big signals. When a friend cries with me I'll often ask, "why are you crying?" Even tho' it may seem obvious in the context of a conversation about how tough something is. And it's amazing how asking that gets to the pith of the issue.

emily · 12 months ago

Thanks for writing this Pearl, I have been noticing this so much lately! Certain things trigger crying every time I encounter them (and I've never really been a crier! I went several years without crying, but of course that's another story...). Every time I read or see something about people working to help solve the poverty/hunger/AIDS crisis in Africa, it's instant waterworks. I also cry in every movie where, as you mentioned, a man makes a commitment to a woman he loves (something I've always wanted and never really had). I hardly ever cry at movies that are supposed to be sad, but I ALWAYS cry when they are about something triumphant, like social change or the attainment of one's dream. I wept for 2-3 days after the recent election, every time I thought about the historical context.

I feel like maybe this is happening because I feel like I'm not on the right path, or that my career is not making enough of a difference. Maybe I am too much of an idealist? But either way I think I am going to look into working/volunteering with a charity organization in Africa for my next big vacation.

pearl_mattenson · 12 months ago

Yes! There is power in getting into action and following the path!

K. · 12 months ago

I cried when Obama was elected! I also tend to cry when someone tells me they love me for the first time. And once, when dealing with an illness in the family and feeling absolutely overwhelmed, I got a call from an old friend on my cell phone while I was grocery shopping. His voice was so warm and sincere when he asked me, "How are you doing?" that I burst into tears, right there in the middle of the wine aisle, because I realized how much I was trying to be strong and how sad and weak I really felt.

Traci · 12 months ago

Thank you, Pearl! I've caught myself swallowing lumps in my throat a lot lately. Next time one comes, I'll let it come, and I'll pay attention. Although what with moving, working two jobs, and writing, something tells me it's pure exhaustion. But I promise I'll look deeper.

Kaytlyn · 12 months ago

I have been crying a lot lately, but I think they are tears of joy. After dealing with an upside-down world, it really puts things in perspective and you realize what is precious. I think that's is what brought up my feelings–being humbled by what I still had and not get carried away with what I wanted. Thank you Pearl for writing this.