Don't be afraid to cry

This week's forecast: a heavy torrent of public tears.

Crying, as we as know, is cathartic. Sometimes, whether from sadness, stress, anger, or even happiness, crying is the best thing to do to purge our emotions. I often will cry from a good book or from an overwhelming situation, but I rarely do in front of people. There seems to be some stigma around crying in public, and around friends. 

Perhaps it is because it is such a personal act, to openly emote, that it feels almost invasive, almost intimate to share with someone, or perhaps merely owing to the ugly expression our face takes on, but crying often is repressed in social situations. Yet, lately, I have been prone to crying in front of friends, family, and even colleagues. 

One of my friends recently joked to me that he had seen me cry every day for four days straight (and he certainly was not wrong). But I think that as soon as you do it once, you let yourself be vulnerable around others, letting your guard down, you realise that it is not that bad. In fact, crying in front of people can actually help. I cried in front of a big group of friends earlier this week, and was met with a whole group of people willing to hug me. Sometimes, crying is the only way to get your emotions out, and you want your loved ones around for that. 

But why do we resist it so much? Why do scrunch up our faces, for the fear of crying in public? I know that for my male friends, it is much worse, because there is harmful stigma that releasing your emotions is somehow 'unmasculine', which is ridiculous. Society seems to shun these outbursts. Instead of freeing, emotive beings, we must be serious machines, programmed to not malfunction. 

I think that is frankly quite stupid. I am learning that it is okay to cry! Sure, I usually prefer this image of being put-together and assertive, but everyone needs a hug from a friend or a reassuring pep talk. Crying, I feel, is better done with your friends, because you at least are not lonely. You have company to cheer you up, or to share in your emotions. During these frequent bouts of tears that I have been experiencing, there is something special in the friendships that you know can endure a cry.

Crying should not be seen as a sign of weakness. In what might at first, seem embarrassing, trust is built, and bonds are strengthened. Don't be afraid to cry: it might actually help.