Tears are good

I grew up in a household where crying was often viewed as a means of manipulation; to get what you want.  And it wasn’t going to work in our house. I learned to repress my tears of sadness especially when it came to relationship matters. 

As a young adult woman I eventually adopted the myth of the strong black woman and worked hard at holding a lot in.  I still tend to hold myself together during stressful situations; thereby holding onto toxins that are not good for me.

My husband recently suffered a stroke and for weeks now I have been in typical ACOA perfectionist wife mode; making sure he takes his medication, getting to all his doctor’s appointments, and being his advocate when it comes to work-related matters.  Then one day I heard Stevie Wonder’s song All I Do on the radio and a flood gate of tears opened up.  The lyrics ‘all I do is think about you’ triggered something.

At first I was worried.  “What in the world is wrong with me?” I asked myself.  But then I remembered that crying a cathartic release and have healing properties.  I’m glad to know my body knows how to heal itself when my head doesn’t.

Hi, I’m Liz Hawkins and I’m a recovering Adult Child of an Alcoholic.