Need Something to Cry About?

I was asked this question often as a kid. The funny thing is that I was always asked the question when I was already crying. My dad was 20yrs old when he became a dad. I was his first child. I can’t imagine becoming a parent that young. I am sure that a lot of his parenting came from a place of still being a kid himself. 

Truth be told, I had plenty to cry about and didn’t cry very often. One thing was certain. No matter what I was crying about, it was never a good enough reason to cry in my dad’s opinion. He would ask me “what are you crying about?” No matter the answer, he would tell me that it was not even close to a reason to cry and to let him know if I needed something to cry about. It has been said that things are passed down over generations. Abused kids somehow end up being abusers to their children. I have been mindful of what I choose to pass down to my kids and what I choose to stop at my generation. 

We cry around my house. If someone in my house is crying, they are allowed to cry. No questions asked. Sometimes kids don’t even know why they are crying. It could be a combination of things or just the feeling of being overwhelmed. Or, maybe we are out of Doritos. Who knows and honestly, who cares. My kids all know that I am available for a hug, a listening ear or just space to process. Hell, I’ll probably even cry with them!

The next time you have the urge to cry, let ‘er rip. It’s like a bath for the soul.

TEA IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD