what's in a tear???

Tears - commonly associated with crying are grouped into three categories: basal tears, reflex tears, and psychic tears. Basal tears are the natural lubrication of the eye to keep it clear of dust. Reflex tears are reacting to an irritant to the eye - fumes, dirt, etc. Psychic tears are what are commonly referred to as crying or weeping, they are tears induced by an emotion. The emotion is not necessarily negative, but often joy and happiness can precipitate tears. Tears themselves are defined as "a liquid process of lacrimation to clean and lubricate the eyes." Furthermore, a tear contains water, mucin, lipids, lysozyme, lactoferrin, lipocalin, lacritin, immunoglobulins, glucose, urea, sodium, and potassium.

Taking all of that into consideration in some ways detracts from the words of God when he says that he catches every tear and both stores them in a bottle, and records them in a book. He knows every time that is shed, and he holds each tear dear.

Tears, and for the purpose of this post, crying is a fascinating thing. What does control crying? How much of it is conscious? If we choose to cry, is it as meaningful as when there is no control over the shedding of tears?

Today at work Marissa was playing with my headband, one that I particulary like, and I had cautioned her to be careful not to break, and to therefore not bend it. Alas a snap sounded, and the headband was now in two pieces. She immediately looked at me, said "sorry," and then proceeded to cry. Her tears were of remorse and perhaps guilt. Bottom line, regardless of the fact that it was an accident and two, I didn't react she reacted to her action. Minutes later, Michael, after having retrieved my phone and responded to my urgings to "Give it to Ellie please" proceeded to shed some tears. His tears were a response to not getting what he wanted. He wanted my phone, I denied that particular want, and he responded by producing some tears - a talent he has fast become adept at, and one I am working at curing!!!

Then take this past Saturday, I shared a dramatic monologue detailing Mary's perspective as the mother of Jesus from the time of her betrothal to Joseph, to Jesus' death and resurrection, and the response of the women is an interesting study. Present were the women who clearly need little encouragement to open the ducts, and were bawling from the get go. Others reported afterwards that they tried not to cry, but could not keep it in. Still others were stoic face, and barely revealed an emotion.

I know both male and female who will cry at movies, songs, merely talking, being inspirational, and then I know people like me who hoard tears, and cry say once every few months, if they're lucky!!! I rarely cry at movies, I rarely cry period - when I do something is generally very wrong, or I'm on medication.

Interestingly I watched "Spanglish" this weekend, and the mother instructs the daughter to cry but one tear, and to therefore make that one tear worth it.

If I was to 'box' myself in, I would say I am of the same nature. There are only limited reasons for crying, so when I cry it better be worth it. Conversely, there have been times where I have had little control over the levys giving way. Although to be fair, there have been plenty of times where I've instructed myself to not cry - it doesn't solve anything, tears don't do anything justice, yada yada.

I wasn't really going anywhere with this I was and am just fascinated with the process of crying and what does prompt the tears -- and how controlled are others? Does crying repeatedly lessen the impact of the cry when viewed by an outsider? Does it even matter? Who do we cry for? It is true that Jesus wept - was it because there comes a point where words don't express the emotion? Did he control the tears? See weeping is much more than shedding a tear here and there. Weeping denotes a heaving of chest, of a stream of tears playing chase with one another down the cheek, of the continuous swelling of the tear ducts, and of the constant release of the swelling. What did he weep for? The death of his friend/Lazarus. To weep with his friends-Lazarus' sisters: Mary and Martha -- sharing their grief. Of the utter sadness that death even has to exist in the world. He also wept when looking out at Jerusalem days before his death, and wept for the lost people -- should we as Christians emulate this???

More questions than answers for this post...