Crying: A Way to Acknowledge Those We've Lost

It’s been over 4 years since my father passed away. And as time goes by, things do get easier and the sadness does start to drop off.

But I found myself crying today… thinking about him and missing him.

Yet it occurred to me, that while sadness doesn’t normally seem like a “good thing”, I felt that these tears were a way to acknowledge him. The tears are my way of telling him that I still remember. That I still love him. And that he won’t be forgotten.

Thinking of my sadness from this perspective helps me realize that being authentic about how we feel, provides value. The tears serve as a sense of relief for myself, and a sense of connection to my father.

Perhaps if we all looked at our sadness from this perspective, we would allow our selves to truly feel a bit more. And to realize that there never is a perfect time to truly release our sadness…. and that perhaps the perfect time is any time.

But we have to start with just giving ourselves that permission.

So right now, as I cry, I picture the droplets on my face being filled with love and memories. And maybe my father is somewhere around me, smiling, knowing that I only cry because of how much I miss him. And perhaps it makes him feel good to know that he is worthy of my tears.