What’s it take for a strong woman to cry? Sometimes a lot, sometimes very little.

To this day I still remember a night at the dinner table. I was a teenager, and with no idea what about or why, I saw my mom cry. She was overwhelmed about something. I remember feeling shocked and humbled. My mom was human. And occasionally just as frustrated and overwhelmed as the rest of us. I love my mother whole-heartedly and I think this scene from years back just made me love her all the more.

I’ve often thought back to, and remembered this instance when I’ve broken down and felt like everything was crumbling around me. There were times when things really were bad, and there were other times where I just over-reacted. Whichever the case, the stronger you are, (or the stronger you try to portray yourself) the harder it is to deal with when tears simply start streaming.

When women “need a good cry”, from a movie or the like it’s completely different than the gut-wrenching, can’t catch your breath, screaming and stamping your feet kind of crying that I’m talking about.

When you see or hear another woman crying like that, or find out a woman was crying like that, there isn’t a heart that doesn’t ache. Each woman has different reasons for crying, but we’ve all cried.

It takes an even stronger woman to let herself cry, realizing that she can’t do it all, see it all, or be it all.

But the strongest woman isn’t the one who necessarily dries her tears, it’s the woman who leaves those tears tracks on her checks to serve as a reminder that she’s had those hard times, and has come through on the other side. Those woman who continue to go on despite hardship, heartbreak, or loss.

To each of those woman I say: You’re an inspiration. You’re a shinning example. You ARE Strong.

Cheers!

~Danielle