I have a new WordPress site that I will be using to blog. It’s called “The New Adventures of Old Kristina” and I invite you to visit and SUBSCRIBE HERE! I won’t be able to subscribe users myself (like I could for this blog), but I also don’t want you to miss anything. So please visit and click the “Follow” button in order to get updates whenever I post something new. I have a few posts already and many more to come.
Here’s a taste of what you’ll find …
(I Never Learned To Cry, Part II)
We just celebrated Thanksgiving. It’s hands down my favorite holiday of the year. I love the fellowship with my extended family that I don’t see often. This Thanksgiving, however, was all about the babies! We’ve had 3 little ones born into my immediate family within the past 2 years. Since I was gone for 11 months last year, I needed to catch up on getting to know them! My niece, Abigail, is one of the most beautiful babies that I’ve ever seen! I took advantage of every opportunity I had to hold her, hug her and kiss her. But Abigail is a little spoiled by her mom; and when she wants to be held by her mother’s arms, nothing else will do.
When Abby wanted her momma, she cried until she was in momma’s arms
When Abby was hungry, she cried until she got food
When Abby was sad or upset, she cried to let everyone know something was wrong
Get the picture?
Abby is 1 year old. She can’t talk yet. So Abby cries – for EVERYTHING! During one of my many stolen moments of holding Abigail, she began crying (again), and it dawned on me … Abigail wasn’t taught how to cry. Babies don’t need to learn that. I NEVER LEARNED HOW TO CRY EITHER, so when did I learn to mask my tears? When are we taught that crying equals weakness and that the lack of showing emotion is the “cool” thing to do? I was never taught how to cry, yet somehow I became really good at not crying (and not caring), telling myself withholding emotion would protect me from getting hurt.
Playing it cool is just protective armour
I want to be more like my 1 year old niece. I want to become “like a child”. I want to be excited, get angry, and feel hurt. Let me be honest here, I don’t quite believe World Race teammate, Lauren, yet. Though I’d like to, I don’t believe that crying might make me feel better. More than that, I’d like to believe that it might make me more relatable. More human. It might make me more dependent on Jesus and even draw me closer to Him. I want to give myself permission to be emotional and return to a state of being that wasn’t too proud to admit when I was weak.
I know I’m not the only one.
I know that some of you are tired of feeling like you have to be strong and be cool. You’ve been waiting to hear someone tell you that ‘it’s alright to cry’. You want someone to relate to, but you don’t want that someone to judge you for wearing your feelings on your sleeve sometimes. I know this, I understand, and I’m with you. I give you permission to uncover your face. I’m telling you that it is ok to cry and there is no need to be ashamed of it. You never know … it might make you feel better.
