HAPPY TEARS

Getting More Sentimental With Age

OMG this is getting ridiculous.  I teared up recently when the UPS man wished me a Merry Christmas.

I didn’t even cry when we dropped our daughters off at college years ago.  But it seems the older I’m getting the more sentimental I’m becoming.  

I had to pull off the road  this fall & wipe away some tears when I noticed a group of students had painted the Spirit Rock at the high school to support their friend.

(Photo Credit: Daily Chief Union)

And I got emotional when one of my daughter’s Lady Ram golfers hugged her after winning N10 Player of the Year.

Thank you’s from parents, shoutouts on FB, “Hi, Mrs. Stoneburner” from across the street…

I can understand crying when  my favorite character on “Heartland”  died,   but getting misty-eyed when all four chairs turn for  someone on “The Voice”  seems weird.  And sniffling every time the young businessman gives up his city  life  in a Hallmark movie for the girl who  lives in the country is  kinda strange too. 

Don’t mentioned the playing of The  Star Spangle Banner  at a football game or military persons surprising their families.  I can tear up just thinking about the video where that  little girl says, “Oh, Daddy!” when he walked into her pre-school.

And I love one of the old United HealthCare commercials because it makes me laugh & cry at the very same time.  Oh, those dirty dancing moves of long ago — gone forever!

I was curious about my  new sentimentality though so I set out to do a little research.  I knew from my own experience that I had  become more levelheaded in old age --  “picking my battles” and “not sweating the small stuff.” And psychologist Susan Turk Charles from the University of California agrees that older people have greater control over their feelings.

But just like every topic,  I found there are two sides to this one  too.  Some researchers say sentimentality is a sign of a person being empathetic, grateful, enthusiastic --  a person who has a 6th sense, collects things, makes instant connections.  But others actually refer to Mussolini and Hitler as prime examples of sentimentalists in their journal articles.

Oh dear, now I really have something to cry about.  Ha!

It’ll Be OK.

“What do you say to your sister when she's crying? -- ‘Are you having a crisis?’”  Ohhhh… Sorry! ~Anonymous

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY HAPPY TEARS?