Conclusion of Your Mysterious Tears

But this feeling of relief may depend not only on tears.  The way others respond to our crying also plays an important role.  For instance, when our tears move others to comfort us or to help us, we feel relieved.  But if this response  to our tears  is not good, we may feel ashamed or rejected.

Clearly, mysteries about crying remain.  What we do know is that shedding tears  is one of the intriguing emotional responses God has given us.

DID YOU KNOW

Newborn babies usually do not shed tears when they cry.  They have enough moisture  to protect their eyes, but tears appear after several weeks when their tear ducts develop fully.

THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEARS

* Basil Tears,  Tear glands constantly produce this clear  liquid to protect and lubricate our eyes. It also improves our eyesight.  When we blink, this fluid is spread over the eyes.

* Reflex Tears.  These tears flood our eyes when an irritating substance or particle gets into the.  Reflex tears are also associated with actions as varied as yawning and laughing.

* Emotional Tears.  These are the "human" tears that we shed when we feel strong emotion.  They contain a 24% higher protein concentration than reflex tears.

Next time: "Where Was God?"

From the jw.org publications