I never cried after my loved ones died. I wanted to, but as my mother’s caregiver I had to be strong for her after my father passed away. I didn’t want her to see me cry. And by the time my mother died, I had gotten used to holding in my emotions.
This isn’t good because we need to express strong emotions when they come up not suppress them, especially the emotion of grief. When we hold in our grief it has no outlet. The only way to heal and recover from mourning is to vent it; express it to the outside world. That way you eventually let it go and it lessens. Tears are healthy and crying is a natural reaction to sorrow.
So many men think it’s not masculine to cry. They don’t like to express emotions. But really, it takes a brave man to show emotions. It is not a weakness but a strength to shed tears. It means you aren’t afraid to fully feel emotions in your life. It means you embrace life fully and want to live it fully.
Your grief just remains inside you until you cry. It never leaves if you never fully grieve. It can’t be avoided. You only delay the inevitable by avoiding your feelings. Grief is a universal normal reaction to death. What is not normal is when we pretend not to have that reaction. Crying is essential in order to recover from a loved one’s death.
Thanks for reading,
Sharon
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