Tears as Expression and Protection

All human beings cry. From the birth to the death, from the womb to the tomb, tears have become a part of people's lives. Babies cry for a variety of reasons: hunger, ear pain, physical hurt, indigestion, burns, and wetness. Children scream when they lose a fight. Sympathetic adults shed tears when touched by a tender scene. Some suitors become teary-eyed upon hearing the sweet sound of yes from the lady they are wooing. In moments of triumph, winners burst into tears of joy. When teased or scolded, sensitive individuals sob. The risk and broken-hearted cry out of pain and anguish. Others mourn the loss of their loved ones.

Tears are an expression or result of an intense emotion. But they are also an important part of the human body's protective mechanism. Tears are small drops of fluid secreted by two lachrymal glands located behind each of a person's eyelids. These glands squeeze out their salty solution through small ducts in the underside of the eyelids. Each time the eyelids blinks, it suck a little fluid from the glands. This fluid then bathes the cornea, the transparent front part of the eyeball's outer coat. Without the moisture provided by these fluids, the eyeball would rub so painfully on the inside lining of the eyelids. Tears also wash away foreign particles in the eye such as dust, hair, and other minute particles. When the eye is irritated tears overflow.Tears also contain proteins that help make our sight organ immune to infection. It also has a mild germicide called lysozyme that kill bacteria and other potentially harmful microbes.

Tears promote the health of our eyes. But their release also helps develop our emotional and social well-being. Children normally cry when afraid or hurt. It has been a tradition among many families to make boys ashamed of showing pain or fear. Since crying is considered unmanly, boys tend to repress and deny all kind of feelings, including tenderness. This impedes their ability to establish a wholesome relationship with family members, freinds, and fellow workers. Suppressed grief could also affect one's nervous system.

When a person experiences fervid emotion such as grief or great joy, the muscles around the lachrymal glands tighten up and squeeze copious tear fluids. So when you feel like crying allow yourself to cry. These lachrymal glands and tears stored in them are natural parts of human beings placed there for a purpose. They are to protect our eye and provide us a means of expressing our most intense emotions.