I Love To See You Cry

I was tagged recently by Neetal to write about the 51 things that make me smile. Boy ooh boy! It was a huge task. I barely made it to 31. It was hard because I could easily think of 51 things that made me frown and those were the ones that kept popping into my head. That set me wondering..."Is my life really that sad?" and "Am I really that frustrated?".

The answer is NO.

My life is normal. Its not perfect. It has its shares of ups and downs. Just like yours.
I cry too. I feel frustrated too. Just like you.
I have lost relationships. I have suffered some pain too. Just like you.
And I focus on the sadness too, sometimes a bit too much. Is that like you too?

Have you experienced the loss of an intimate relationship or independence or a job or a societal status or physical ability or intelligence or a role or anything that was precious to you? Have you experienced the downs of normal life and asked yourself, "Why me?" Do you really think its just you? Do you really think that the guy next door has never experienced any of that? When you get in an accident, and say why me, did you really want the car behind you to be in your place? Will someone else's misery make you happy?

Have you experienced any recent joy, maybe a new relationship, a new friend, a nice compliment, or something that made you smile? Did you jeopardize that happy moment by pitying yourself and saying, "But he left me. I should not be happy".

Are you holding on to your past? Do you love to see yourself cry?

Think about it. Do not get defensive. Introspect. Are you learning to become depressed and make that your identity? Do you feel uneasy when you are happy? Do you feel like you do not deserve to be happy and that because you are, something bad is going to happen to you? Maybe, just maybe..you are subconsciously designing your life in such a way that you remain unhappy. Perhaps, you are learning to love to be unhappy.

Think about those people who whine, grumble, and complain all the time. Do you want to be like that person? Maybe you already are.

Forget Enrique Inglesias's song.
Next time, when you look into the mirror, flash your best smile.

I love to see you smile.