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Getting Rid Of The “Yuckies”


I was straightening up the linen closet and found a baby blanket that my mom had given to me years ago.

It’s a blanket that my twin brother and I had in London, UK where we were born.

I teared up as I unfolded it, and let a few more tears fall as I thought of dad, who probably held Robert (everyone else calls him Bob) in it.  Funny, how emotions get stirred up by such simple, little things.

Call me sentimental, yes I cry at movies too.  But there’s a reason for these tears…

They do evoke past thoughts of sadness and pain sometimes as happened to me thinking of my dad.  This kind of release is exactly that; pent-up feelings that are released through crying make most of us feel better.

The word for this emotional transformation is “catharsis” – the purification of emotions that results in renewal and restoration.  My description for it is a little less elegant; I say I’m getting rid of the “yuckies”.

From a health point of view, getting rid of the yuckies is good for you.

Your tears release toxins from your system.  When this happens, you clean house and re-balance yourself physically and mentally.

A saying attributed to British psychiatrist Henry Maudsley (among others) notes, “The sorrow which has no vent in tears may make other organs weep”, expresses the danger well when a constant refusal to cry can literally bottle up emotions and adversely affect you physically.

“There now, that’s better,” has been said by many a mom to comfort a child, whose spill off the bike or dropped ice cream cone has caused a seemingly inconsolable sob.  Moments later, they’re happily playing again.  Miracle?  No.  Just getting rid of a few yuckies, that’s all.

Kita Szpak is a contributing blogger for JenningsWire, a blogging community created by Annie Jennings.