l| a time to be silent and a time to speak |l

Tears

Why do people cry and when do they cry? Usually in pain, sadness and in happiness. And also when cutting onions. Funny why one has to explain tears of happiness. I guess because crying is typically associated with sadness. I wonder if there'd really be no crying in heaven. If it's the ultimate happy place to be in, shouldn't everyone there be crying while shouting for joy in front of the King of Glory?

Tears. Also the present tense of 'torn'. Maybe we cry in sadness because our heart breaks and tears... just like a fragile vessel that contains the water of life. Hurts are like hard knocks to this vessel, causing cracks that eventually become bolder strokes of pain. That's when the life, hope and ex-promises stored inside begin to flow out of the stretches of holes.

What if people stop crying? Does it mean that the heart has hardened against the familiar pain? Does it mean that it doesn't feel as strongly, or the cracks have since hardened into scars... something that only serves as a reminder of the past and will never again allow its life to be wasted on repeated mistakes... ?

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What's the Point of Tears?

There are three types of tears produced by our eyes which are classified as basal, reflex and emotional (psychogenic) tears .

Basal tears, which are the primary tear, help keep the eye surface nice and moist. The chemical components of this tear class allow it to form an adherent, thin film over the eye to provide general protection and moisture.

Sometimes we may get things like dust or a pellet from a Red Ryder BB gun in the eye. We all make mistakes. Such irritants will induce the response of reflex tears. Reflex tears hold similarity to basal tears, but are distinct in having chemical components that more readily allow elimination of particles and irritants (like dust or onion vapors) and microorganisms.

The final class of tears, and the ones that produce many scientific questions, are emotional tears. Some studies and scientists indicate this class of tear, within humans, are different within males and females and also may have a distinct evolutionary origin and physiological purpose.

Certain chemicals may build-up when the body is under great stress. Studies have shown that proteins released in emotional tears are the same hormones associated with high stress. For instance, prolactin (protein associated with breastmilk production) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) are both associated with emotional tears and also stress within the body.

Women tend to have higher prolactin levels, nearly double, than that of men and this may be why women cry a bit more easily when under stress. ACTH, often associated with the "sweating bullets" you see on a guy who has forgotten his anniversary or is pushing a deadline, is stress associated and released in emotional tears. Research shows that suppressing emotional tears may contribute to conditions such as hypertension and heart disease.