April 15th, 2009
I cry at major stuff (I lost my much beloved brother-in-law a month ago and I’m sure I haven’t shed the last tears about that yet). Overall, though, I’m not a big cryer – but I will sometimes well up at a sad or poignant movie, letting me know that the systems still function, which is always a relief.
Some people cry a lot, and others don’t. The differences are hormonal, social (gender roles in general; degree of emotionality that was considered acceptable in your family of origin), etc. I’m not sure not crying is a sign of pathology, esp. if you haven’t experienced any of the major stuff, such as you list in the OP.
A few months ago. I watched a comedy about a dog. My companions were crying too. We all ended up giving their dog big hugs.
A couple times a year I get choked up and my eyes well up and sometimes tears will run down my cheek. Most recently it happened on Sunday when I saw Up.
But the last time I was sobbing/blubbering with a runny nose, red face and swollen eyes? I was 21, in college, and I broke down in front of the girl I had recently broken up with over how much I missed her.
When I was younger I would laugh at my mother when she cried at a sad movie, and I could never understand why people would get teary at things like that. As I got older, though, and especially after I had kids, more and more things can set me off. These days I can cry at the drop of a hat, and I hate that. I found myself tearing up the other night when I was hearing about a friend whose son broke his neck when he hit a sandbar in the ocean. A sad movie or book can just destroy me. Marley and Me? Yeah, basket case.
On the other hand, I think that the last time my husband cried was when WVU beat Penn State in 1984.
I cried - tears, and getting choked up - at Up. Two many reflections of my own life in the old couple.
Last time I really cried? Sobbing? When my uncle died two years ago.
Like BrassyPhrase, I never cry at work. I don’t want to be one of “those women”.
Two days ago. I’ve held it together since then, but it’s been close.
Yesterday I was clearing off the enclosed porch in preparation for painting. I found a binder of mementos I had saved from a very special time in my life. I was incredibly dirty and dusty but ended up sitting in the dinning room for over an hour. Reminiscing, and crying.
So, yesterday!
Last night, over something I saw on TV. I don’t even remember what it was.
The night my mom died, back in February of this year.
I well up all the time at sad movies - the last one that made me cry was Boxes of Love the short animated film. Beautiiful and heartbraking.
The last time I cried because I was actually upset was late last year, when I came home to find a card from both my mum and my grandmother. My mum had included a badge that my friend had made - a cut out of the street map of of road. I showed it to my girlfriend who was with me, really happy and then, bam, I cried (sobbed, really) for over hald an hour. I hadn’t been aware that I was homesick, but clearly I was.
Really cried? First weekend in May, when I miscarried.
Got teary? Don’t know. Probably reading a book to my kid.
Oh, Lissla, I’m sorry to hear it.
I got a lumpy throat at the memorial for an acquaintance’s husband. I didn’t know him at all but what everyone said was really nice, and I feel weepy joy thinking about heaven.
I get lumpy throated and a little teary at sentimental things on TV, and anything documenting real births of babies. And I saw a 16 and Pregnant where they were giving up the baby at birth–that was pretty wrenching.
Really cried tears and snotty? Maybe in the fall when my father told me he had a successful operation for prostate cancer he hadn’t mentioned to me. Kind of relief and anger at the same time.
Generally, I feel sadness and emotion pretty regularly on a certain level but don’t/can’t cry too hard, the whole “if I start, I’ll never stop” thing.
Like Anaamika, I got misty watching Up. I blamed it on the dusty theater though–cause I’m a man’s man, dern it.
Two nights ago. I had to tell my three oldest kids that a friend has passed away unexpectedly. It hit my ten year old pretty hard and we ended up crying together. We all worked together at a local community theatre and we were all part of the set construction crew. I’ve worked there for years but Doug and Marsha were relative newcomers, having helped out over the past couple seasons. They were a very nice couple who had retired recently and were in the “enjoying the heck out of retirement” phase. They were working with the theatre to keep themselves busy, and my kids, who love to work at the theatre, had bonded very well with Marsha(who had spent a career as a teacher). They loved working with her and chatting and she’d tell them stories or talk with them about books(they all shared a love of reading).
She had missed the last show’s build because she had been in the hospital unexpectedly and ended up being fitted for a pacemaker. We were all concerned about her, but when she was released from the hospital she was doing well. Then she died suddenly last week. The news filtered through to us through the theatre and I told the kids that night. Ryan(7) shared his memories of how she taught him how to flip a pencil from the top of your hands to the bottom without ever letting go of it. Alexis(13) talked about the discussions they’d had about books and logic puzzles. Serra(10) remembered how much Marsha loved to read and how they would sit in the theatre and talk quietly when there wasn’t much for them to do(they mostly do light labor and painting, and sometimes we’ve only got heavy stuff to do, so they just hang out until the big pieces are in place or constructed and then come back to paint or do little stuff). They’re all writing a little bit about what they remember of her and how she touched their lives and we’re sending them to Doug along with our condolences. Serra’s was sent yesterday.
Marsha was an organ donor and Doug says he knows they were able to use her eyes, so her death brought sight to someone and some part of her still lives on. He’s planning on scattering her ashes over the Colorado mountains, Las Vegas, and Galveston Island, as she wanted.
Enjoy,
Steven
Last night. Life has been very stressful lately and it’s taking its toll.
Well, you’re 18, you say? At that age I never cried either. I still hate crying, but ever since I became a parent the faucets have been more open. I can remember in college my life had to be pretty much completely falling apart before I would actually get to the point of crying.
Exactly. What happened to me? I used to be so cold, so stoic! Damned kids.
I welled up yesterday after reading this post by Lacunae Matata.
Full-on crying? I can’t remember, but I expect the next time will be later today or tomorrow. My husband will be taking his daughter’s dog to its new home, and it’s been with us long enough to form some attachment. Also, my son will cry, and I can’t hold it together when my loved ones cry.
I tear up easily, as long as no one (except maybe my boyfriend) can see. Especially if it’s anything involving a wedding or a baby.
The last time I got to the point of sobbing was a couple weeks ago. In the past few years, my mom has become a very different person than she was when I was a child. It involves some spiritual beliefs that I don’t like, although they’re not harmful, just distasteful to me. I’d been hanging on to the idea that one day she might give up her new beliefs and turn back into the mom I grew up with, but I finally had to accept that my childhood mom is gone for good, and I had a good hard cry to mourn that loss. I still love my mom, I just miss who she used to be. 
Oh, I cry fairly often, say every week probably, though not evenly divided. I never cry when anyone else is around though. That would be unmanly, you see. 
My tendency to cry alot is because I have some problems with depression though, not because all these sad things keep happening to me.