When There's Nothing Left to Do but Cry it Out

I believe that crying is one of the most beautiful things that we as humans have the privilege of experiencing as we go through life.  The value of a tear is worth so much more than just a drop of water that streams down your face.  I truly believe it's a blessing; a spiritual gift given to us by God.

We all express our feelings about life through tears at one point or another.  We cry when tragic things are inflicted upon us.  We cry during life's most beautiful moments.  We cry simply because we can, and because God has blessed us with a way to express ourselves without having to say anything at all.  A tear can hold a life's load of pain and sorrow, but it can also hold a moments worth of joy and peace.  There is literally no other source of expression that can do both of those things at once.  What a remarkable and incredible piece of human sentiment.

The ability to weep is something I'll be eternally grateful for.  There are times of horrendous pain where there's nothing left to do but cry.  Crying is a battle technique for me.  When Lyme rages, and my own body is trying to destroy my mind and spirit, tears are my final battle cry.  My final swipe of a sword.  My final arrow being shot onto the battle ground.  My go to warrior cry that gives me the courage to keep going.  

​Tears come when everything else fails.  Chronic illness tends to make you cry a lot, and that's okay.  Your body hurts beyond belief, you do everything in your power to make the pain stop, your attempts fail, so you settle for a helpless crying session.  It's the circle of life in the chronically ill body.  You hurt, you cry, you keep fighting.  The important thing is what you do with those tears when you're done crying.

Don't ever get caught in an eternal river of tears.  It's okay to cry, but then get up!  Splash some cold water on your tear stained face!  Put on some clean pajamas and prepare yourself for battle!  Every time I flare, I enter the battlefield of my own body, and I have to keep telling myself, "Get yourself back on that battle field and keep fighting!  You're a warrior!  And you will not lose this battle!"  I may fight my battles with tears, but I always follow up through fighting with faith, prayer, hope, and peace in knowing that God has a plan for me, Lyme or no Lyme.  

Don't ever be ashamed to cry it out.  Don't ever be afraid of expressing yourself through sobbing.  It's not the crying that determines weakness or strength.  It's what you do after you've had a good cry.  We're all warriors in this battle of health and wellness and we have a duty to keep fighting no matter how bad our bodies ache and hurt.  Physical pain is hard, but with God, anything is possible, even overcoming physical pain.  I truly believe that.  God loves us all, and with Him on our side, we can overcome anything.