Sad but why?

by Sharon
(Wilmington, DE , USA)

Sometimes I get this heavy hearted feeling like I become sad and feel like I'm gonna cry. But I don't always cry and when I do it's only for about 2-5 minutes. The feeling comes and goes. Although I don't get it often - like one day I'll have it and it won't happen again till a week or so later. why is this happening?

Ben's Answer:

My first impulse is to tell you -- you cry because you are a human being. You cry because you're living in a world of human beings in every kind of pain and suffering imaginable. You can't be a self-aware, conscious person in life without sometimes crying. If you were crying daily, and couldn't stop, I might have a different answer. But crying for a few minutes, every few days, or once a week is probably more a sign of emotional health, than a sign of a problem.

Sometimes sadness (or anger, or fear, or joy...) may spontaneously arise out of the unconscious mind and you may have no idea what it's about. It's more important to not judge yourself, and to allow yourself to fully feel any emotion - whether it makes logical sense or not. It's good to contemplate your feelings and see if an idea, or a flash of insight comes to you about it.

But again, just being a sensitive, feeling person in this world is vital to the survival of the human race. We've got plenty of people in this world that have no remorse, no guilt, no shame, no compassion, and shed a tear for no one.

So give your tears freely and be grateful for them.

Best wishes,
Ben