The Hangover

I felt horrible all day today.  I slept until 11:00 a.m., and when I got up my eyes were puffy and red, my head hurt, and I was exhausted. 

Did I go on a bender last night? 

No.

I had a big cry.

They say crying is therapeutic.  Excellent stress relief, reduces your risk for heart attack, blah blah blah.  But I am of an age where crying absolutely wears me out.

I've always been a cryer.  Even as a kid, sappy TV shows or Hallmark commercials would make me tear up.  When I watched the finale of M*A*S*H, I bawled.  Movies always get to me - even ones that don't make most people cry.  Planes, Trains, and Automobiles?  I bawled.  And don't even get me started on the real tear-jerkers, like Titanic, Steel Magnolias, Fried Green Tomatoes.....I could go on and on.  The most recent one to get me was Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  I renamed it Extremely Sad and Incredibly Sad.  I was a mess for hours.  I won't even watch The Notebook.  I already know what it will do to me.

I always cry at weddings.  I cry if I see a baby be born on TV or in a movie.  I cry at sad endings and happy endings.   I cried when I sent my babies off to Kindergarten, and cried at all major milestones of Drama Daughter's senior year of high school.  I cry in church.  I cry when I read a good book.  I cry when I hear particular songs.  I cry during any dog or horse movie.  I cry when I see soldiers reunited with their loved ones.  I cry during this commercial.  I cry when I think about my grandmother.  Sometimes?  I just cry.

Last night was a doozie - not your average dab-your-tears-with-a-Kleenex-and-sniffle-a-few-times cry, but an all-out sobbing, snotting mess.  No worries - today I am fine.  God has a way of working everything out, and comforting me when I'm at my worst.  I have been cleansed.

But damn I'm tired.