Don't Underestimate The Power of Tears - Annie George

Hey Guys!!!

Annie was another classmate of SHEMHS, Moolamattom. She usually sits in the very next bench before mine in class. She was also a boarder, like me. But the worst part was, it was her first time to be separated from family. Annie had everything in life, she had parents, siblings, money, intelligence and focus. Despite having all these, she felt sad and alone. Since I had a policy of non attachment to anyone or anything, I tried to keep a distance, but when we see someone in tears for wanting to go home, I could relate to it easily and I had no choice but to just point that she is not alone in that and I too am there facing the same problem.  I have never ever seen, so much heart break like I saw with her and believe it, she had it for the whole 3 years she stayed in the boarding.

Annie was one heck of a person. She was very strong and motivated when it came to studies and she believed in prayers, saints and God and she used to kiss all the statues and pictures of saints no matter where it is. Seeing her devotion our boarding mistress predicted that she would become a nun. That much was her obsession with anything regarding prayer.

 She had no inhibition in expressing, it was through her I could see the depth of feeling when separated from loved ones.

I remember, when she came for the first time in the boarding, she was sad and crying. The reason, she didn't have sufficient curries and she missed her family. She was taller than most of us, so I was thinking, how can a big person feel sadness or the feeling of separation. She was lucky that her home was not that far but still she cried with tears.

One day, she said, "Meena, I am feeling very sad and I have tears inside me, can you sing a sad song for me, so that I can cry." I readily sang because I loved singing (But can I pass a secret, I usually knew only the first paragraph fluently). And I sang this one paragraph over and over again until she says to stop. That is when I felt I can sing. That is when I felt that tears do have a healing power. You know there is one more hilarious factor, I made sure she could see my back or I face the mountains sitting side by side because once it so happened, I couldn't stop laughing because of her facial expression when she cried. That is not a good thingfor a person who is hurting right???? From then on, I never saw her cry but surely heard it.

After crying she felt so invigorated (energetic) that she was ready to face the world. And you know that is when I knew, I can help a person to clear the block of tears. Personally, I would rather go the opposite way during this grievous situations but there are situations which forces us to be there. The best part of it was, we had a perfect place to vent our hurt and sorrow because we wanted privacy.

At least she had the best idea to vent out her anger, sadness and  frustration - through tears. That was the best lesson I learnt from her. Tears are the best healers in life.

Do you know, whenever I have my tears clogged in my heart, I will think of Annie, now when I remember it,  its hilarious, but back then, it was heart breaking for both of us because we cannot describe our feeling with words, it was bottomless.

So guys, I would like to thank Annie from the very bottom of my heart, who taught me to always carry a vial of tears in ones system, so that you don't get hurt from your life experiences. Tears help to face the world courageously. Just cry and see the difference.

So, kindly don't underestimate the power of tears.

Take care.

See you.

Meena