Yoo 324 - New Tears

I was standing in the security line at the airport the other day, when something strange happened to me.

It was triggered by a Korean family standing nearby.

They were a small family. A young mom with a wide-eyed baby boy strapped in a carrier to her back. A young dad sorting thru boarding passes while trying to wrangle in a bouncy little girl. There was an older couple standing with them, exchanging sentiments in Korean. As we all approached the security check they went around in a circle of long embraces and what I'm sure translated to "good-byes". The young mother turned for a final wave as they were pushed forward and threw her hand up to blow a kiss, a small tear escaping her eye.

And that's when I almost lost it.

Lost it as in, my tear ducts began pumping and I fought hard to keep those release valves tightly clamped.

"What is going on??", I thought to myself.

"This never happens to me! These tear ducts are as dry as the desert!"

Just seeing this little Korean family bid farewell to people they obviously cared very much about was making me all emotional.

It was a new feeling. One that's been happening more and more often.

Exhibit A:
Hunger Games movie with the Gregbeau. The scene where Katniss volunteers in her sister's place? I got all choked up and spent a solid 10 minutes trying to nonchalantly wipe tear after tear off my cheek without my dude noticing.

Exhibit B:
Phone conversation with the Kyoo mom. She was telling me all about the Dylansister's championship basketball team and them getting escorted by police thru town with people cheering on the side of the road. My response? *sniffle* *tear wipe* "That must have been so happy for her!"

Exhibit C:
Driving home from eating Chinese food with the family. We start driving the route a funeral procession is about to take with a fallen soldier. It's lined with spectators waving the flag. I was so filled with gratitude for that young man's sacrifice, and his family's. It got me choked up.

Exhibit D:
Just about any country song. Well, the ones that aren't about red solo cups and dancing on tailgates. The other country songs. I will not list them. But I now have to be very careful when I'm listening to the radio.

Please note that I've never been a crier.

No, quite the opposite. I'm usually the one sitting there in situations where I should be crying with stubborn dry eyes, sheepishly trying to avert my gaze and hope it goes unnoticed. Or nonchalantly messing with my contacts to produce the agitated eye/crying effect.

But all of a sudden, without any changes in medication or diet, I'm a fire hose, waiting to flood the streets at the flip of a switch.

And it's like everything has access to that switch.

I don't know why this is happening (does this come with age? premature mom instincts, perhaps?), but WORLD, for the love of everything that is Kyoo and stoically not a crier, quit flipping that switch!

In conclusion, a picture of pizza. Just because.

Depending on my hanger levels and the current state of the day, that has Kyoo cry potential, too.

Have a great day :-)