Big Girls Don't Cry

When did it become okay for men to cry and not okay for women to cry? When a woman cries she is often criticized for showing her vulnerability. When a man cries it shows he is sensitive and humble. What gives? Some scientist believe that crying is the bodies way of releasing excessive hormones, which would explain why women cry easier than most men. Right?

Growing up I only saw my dad cry a couple of times but witnessed my mother cry often. I remember thinking that people who cried so easily were weak so I fought the tears back every time I felt them coming on. I didn't want to be weak. As I grew older my views changed and I realized that no matter how hard I fought them back, it was inevitable and I stopped fighting so hard. 

Sometimes I hate that I'm such an emotional person but I haven't viewed it as being weak or vulnerable in a very long time. Instead I feel like it shows my strength and courage. Crying is a release. It relives my stress levels and in the end relaxes me. That doesn't mean that I'm going to cry all the time. I still fight the tears back from time to time especially when I'm angry. I guess I've just come to terms with being a cry baby and totally accept it. I have 5 kids... that comes with 5 times more hormones than before, what other excuse do I need?