Weak

turn to poison

in the ducts.

Alice Walker (1944 - )

U.S. novelist and poet.

Men are stereotyped as the macho, not-supposed-to-cry human species. Usually one hears remarks like "You are not supposed to cry, you are a man!" It was like, for me, saying that to cry is not manly. I beg to disagree.

While most men are not willing to express pain in tears, it could help them ease the weight they are concealing. To cry does not mean that one man hurt more than the others did. To cry is just expressing how a man perceive the pain to be.

Crying is a sign of weakness? No, it could be an aid to healthy living.

If women can fight against disease by crying, then men are supposed to let go and cry even for once. How does crying help then? Let us consider the tears. Tears secreted by the lachrymal gland wash away germs and other small objects that may enter the lid area of the eye. Tears also contain a protein that kills certain germs. (Human Disease, 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.)

Aside from the benefit we gain from tears, crying relieves stress-related disorders. Stress-related disorders include hypertension (high blood pressure), headaches, back pain, skin disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcers. Stress is also believed to contribute to coronary heart disease (atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the heart's arteries) and some cases of cancer. (Stress-Related Disorders, 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.)

Man, I am not saying you cry instantly when waiting patiently in line, or when you are caught in a traffic jam, or when you are in a crowded place and you can not move fast! I am saying express your pain willingly through tears when negative events come along. Why will you conceal the pain from the death of a loved one? Why will you pretend it does not affect you when a relation failed? Why not weep because of a major injury or illness? It is okay to cry. Men and women are allowed to. No exception.

It does not diminish a man's virility if he cries once in a while. It does not downgrade a man to a lesser human being. Cry if you want to, in the confines of a room, or in the open. It strengthens a man no less than a woman.

But I must forewarn you. Do not drown yourself - to depression.

To read more about CRYING:

1. Why We Laugh and Cry

2. Toxic Tears: how crying keeps you healthy

3. Tears