The Weight Of Tear Drops

THE WEIGHT OF TEAR DROPS



I wonder, “Does a tear have weight?”. I am not sure. What I do know, even though, they may be just evaporating fluid, each one could be carrying the weight of the world.



When tears fall from our eyes, they feel weightless. We know they are there because of the sensation we feel when they stream down our face or by causing us blurred vision. They may be easily wiped away with a tissue, the swipe of our hand, or the sleeve of our blouse but, they have weight. And, the turmoil they are causing inside may not be wiped away as easily.



I cry for different reasons. It may be a sad movie that touched my heart, the loss of a pet or a loved one, a broken relationship or physical pain, Maybe, I have been rejected, lonely or depressed. Sometimes, I cry, when I see someone else hurting. I feel their pain or despair. What ever the reason, tears should not be ignored or taken lightly. The person behind them is, often, carrying a heavy heart regardless, the reason.



Maybe the heart is heavier than the tear. To keep the heart from bursting, the tears are an outlet for the hurt to escape. I guess, tears are necessary to give our hearts the ability to keep functioning. However, one thing I am sure of, tears are more than just a salty drop of liquid. Not only do they clean our eyes when we blink, they give us clearer vision. But, at times, the weight of a tear can be unbearable.



I have heard it said, that God saves our tears in a bottle. If that is true, He must have a very good reason for doing so. Obviously, He feels our tears are worth saving. One day, I hope to be able to ask Him what that reason is. Maybe, He understands the weight of each and ever one. I guess, that should be comforting to know, but, at any rate, tears should be taken very seriously.



Reaching out to someone, even a stranger who weeps, may lesson their weight. Just an, “Is there anything I can do to help?”, or a gentle touch to a shoulder may decrease or even diminish some of the load from a hurting individual. After all, a little compassion goes a very long way. It may not be the fix, but the individual who thought no one cared, will see that there is someone who actually does. It may make all of the difference in the world to that hurting soul. It may, also, be rejected, but it will not be forgotten. It may be what keeps the hopeless, suffering one from caving in to the pressures of this life. A few seconds of our time may even save a life. Life's problems weigh a lot. So, tears have to carry some kind of weight!



Granted, there are tears of joy. Are those weightless? I don't know. They sure are the better ones to release. I would much rather have those trickling down my face. But these days? I see a lot more weight of sadness than happiness. Not just in others, but within myself. When I cry, I know my tears have weight. I feel them begin in my heart and the pressure moves to my eyes. Like a dam that has been, finally, released.



Normally, when a dam breaks, people stack sand bags to keep their homes and property from being ruined. They are used to control the devastating destruction the flood can cause. To save what they have worked all of their lives for. And, let's face it, sandbags can be pretty heavy and it often takes a team, working together, to protect their most cherished possessions. So, when our eyes flood with tears and we feel we are being destroyed, is there a team piling our sandbags? Who helps build up some love to keep the destruction from becoming overwhelming? Am I in their midst?



All I know is, there is much self destruction and feelings of hopelessness that can occur from the weight of our tears. They can be very powerful. Remember, water erodes rock. Yes, often, tears are necessary to mold us and sometimes, strengthen us or bring us healing, but the heaviest ones can bring us to our knees. Even cause us to fall flat on our faces. Those, for me, are the heaviest ones.



So, by looking closer into “the weight of our tears”, maybe, they all weigh the same. Maybe not. Who really knows? I guess, that would have to be individually assessed. To me? Light or heavy, one is just as significant as the other, No one likes to endure the downpour of either, whether it be just a leak, or a flood of salty heartache. What is heavy for me, may not be seem as heavy to you. But, every tear counts and remember, God saves them in a bottle. If they are a concern to Him, maybe, they should be a concern to us.



Some people think tears are a sign of weakness. I don't see someone as weak because they cry or faint of heart. I see a caring, hurting. struggling human being carrying more than they can handle. Can I help? I won't know unless, I reach out and try. At least, I will know that I tried to lessen the heavy load from a hurting man, woman or child. I will never know unless I step out from my own selfishness and pride and give it a shot.



In conclusion, tears, usually, are a cry for help or comfort. I have found, there are more tears than compassion going around these days, I have, also, concluded that each tear counts and they do have weight. The scale they are weighed upon is the heart. I hope, should I see someone standing alone with tears in their eyes, I do or say something to make a difference in their troubled world, I mean, who knows, maybe, it will even be paid forward. Maybe not. But, maybe, the next time I experience a flood of tears from a hurting heart or devastation, someone will reach out or stack up some love for me!