Getting Rid Of The “Yuckies”
I was straightening up the linen closet and found a baby blanket that my mom had given to me years ago.
It’s a blanket that my twin brother and I had in London, UK where we were born.
I teared up as I unfolded it, and let a few more tears fall as I thought of dad, who probably held Robert (everyone else calls him Bob) in it. Funny, how emotions get stirred up by such simple, little things.
Call me sentimental, yes I cry at movies too. But there’s a reason for these tears…
They do evoke past thoughts of sadness and pain sometimes as happened to me thinking of my dad. This kind of release is exactly that; pent-up feelings that are released through crying make most of us feel better.
The word for this emotional transformation is “catharsis” – the purification of emotions that results in renewal and restoration. My description for it is a little less elegant; I say I’m getting rid of the “yuckies”.
From a health point of view, getting rid of the yuckies is good for you.
Your tears release toxins from your system. When this happens, you clean house and re-balance yourself physically and mentally.
A saying attributed to British psychiatrist Henry Maudsley (among others) notes, “The sorrow which has no vent in tears may make other organs weep”, expresses the danger well when a constant refusal to cry can literally bottle up emotions and adversely affect you physically.
“There now, that’s better,” has been said by many a mom to comfort a child, whose spill off the bike or dropped ice cream cone has caused a seemingly inconsolable sob. Moments later, they’re happily playing again. Miracle? No. Just getting rid of a few yuckies, that’s all.
Wherever You Are
One In A Million Dragon