We cant always be strong, but sometimes, we have to risk trusting others with our tears so they’d have the chance to wipe them all away. – Jocelyn Soriano
The most terrible thing to feel in the world is not to be weak. The most terrible thing to feel is to know that even in your strength, even in your riches, even in your possession of power, you are alone.
Therein is our poverty, therein is true anguish. And in that poverty, there is nothing we can do but to risk ourselves all the more and make ourselves vulnerable. No one can join us while we are enclosed. No one can see us while we remain hidden.
By opening ourselves to others, we risk getting hurt more. But it is only by this risk that we also invite others to come and to be the friend of our souls.
Why do we hide our tears from the world?
We hide our tears –
because we don’t want to appear weak
because when we appear weak, other people would avoid us
because they don’t want to be affected by our weakness
and when they leave us, we just become even lonelier than before
We hide our tears –
because we don’t want to lose our credibility
with the people who trust us and depend on us
because when they see us crying, they’d think we’re crumbling
and when we crumble, they’d have no one to lean on to anymore
We hide our tears –
because we don’t want to appear hurt
because when our loved ones see how hurt we are, they’d get hurt as well
and we don’t want to see them hurt
because we’d only get hurt the more
I’ve hidden my tears for quite a while, ‘til there came a time when I surrendered, and I set them free – I let them overflow, and I’ve realized, I don’t want to hide my tears anymore.
I don’t want to hide my tears anymore –
because I want to show others how much I understand their tears,
and in so doing, help them feel they’re not alone;
because I want to show one doesn’t have to be perfect all the time,
just so you can be strong;
because I want others to understand me,too, in my hurts,
trusting they can also be strong, and that they could also love me for who I am,
not for who I could be or pretend to be.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. – Psalm 34:18
“…and all my tears flowed silently toward the Heart of Him who alone understands what pain and suffering is.” – St. Faustina
Check Jocelyn's books:
"Of Waves and Butterflies: Poems on Grief", "Mend My Broken Heart", "Questions to God", "To Love an Invisible God", "Defending My Catholic Faith", and more - click here.
(You may freely quote excerpts from this website as long as due credit is given to author Jocelyn Soriano and the website itakeoffthemask.com)