Why We Cry

I received an email this morning asking how to get through crying at work.  I immediately related to the problem from my own issues around crying.  I could empathize with this person who reached out for a bit of advice and support.  I used to be embarrassed when I would cry in front of people-particularly people with whom I felt, at some level, insecure with or inferior to.

Over time I got quite good at controlling my tears. However, there were times and situations that would arise when I was not able to control the open/shut valve in my tear ducts. Those times were terribly shaming for me, increasing my experience of being less than, or stupid, or immature, or unprofessional...the list goes on and on.

There are physiological reasons for tears flowing from our tear ducts. The wisegeek.com blog gives a good summary:
There are many theories on why people cry emotional tears. One such is that there are proteins in tears, which are the same components in certain hormone. One of the biggest of these is prolactin, present in greater levels in women than in men. Women use prolactin in large supply when they are nursing infants, and in the first few days after having a baby, breastfeeding that baby may produce very strong emotional response as prolactin levels increase massively. Women also report feeling very calm, sleeping or spaced out during the first few weeks after a baby’s birth because of the high levels of this hormone. Not only does prolactin stimulate lactation, but it also tends to have an overall calming effect. It may be the case that prolactin, and other hormones like it are part of a mood regulation system. When we perceive physical or emotional pain, these hormones may build, and produce greater amounts of tears. Thus people cry, and this release may be calming too, helping to restore mood.
To read more go to http://www.wisegeek.com/why-do-people-cry.htm 

There is a profound purpose for our tears flowing that goes beyond the physiological reasons for 'emotional' tears:

Crying is our Soul's way of speaking to us, getting our attention. Through crying, our Soul is asking us to accept the deep inner wisdom and knowing that brings peace and abundance* to our life. If we can but listen for the words within our tears we will experience all we need to get through our current situation.

*abundance [via Old French from Latin abundantia, from abundāre to abound] : 

1. A great or plentiful amount.

2. Fullness to overflowing: "My thoughts . . . are from the abundance of my heart" (Thomas De Quincey).

3. Affluence; plentifulness

4. Benevolence

5. Plenitude of God’s goodness and spiritual gifts  

        Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © Harper Collins Publishers 1991, 1994,
        1998, 2000, 2003
6. Not just referring to having money and 'stuff' (Carolyn Faivre)

When you cry, can you hear the message within your tears? When you witness another crying, can you hear the words in their tears?  If you could, how would/could your experience be different?