David McMahon at Authorblog does this weekly thing in which he asks a question, then asks readers to answer it on their blogs.  I have liked a lot of his questions and wanted to answer them, but did not have a blog.  Now I do.

 

So the first question for which I am eligible to answer is, “What brings tears to your eyes?”

 

Hmmmm.   My first thought was onions; onions bring tears to my eyes more frequently than any other thing does.  I love to cook.  I cook great meals for our family most days of the week.  And I love onions.  I am always chopping onions, and am almost always in tears from them.  The worst are the red ones, which I tend to use a great deal because they add color to things.

 

I doubt that was the kind of answer David was after, however, and for some reason, I am compelled to add something else myself.

 

Last week was my anniversary, and I introduced you to Prince Charming, including how we met.  We did not want pretense, but wanted to be ourselves so there would not be surprises later.  I sort of feel like I need to do that with my blog.  I am not sure why, but a lot of the things that run through my head to post are about my weaknesses, failings and neuroses (many of which might be funny).  I can only think this is because I want my thousands hundreds scores dozens handful of few readers to know the worst of me, take it or leave it.  There are probably deep-seeded psychological reasons for this, but that discussion is not for now

 

Back to the things that bring tears to my eyes….

 

-Good chic flicks.  I know I should apologize for this, but I cannot.  I love a good chic flick.  (And my opinion is what constitutes “good” or “not good.”)  During the sappy, sweet parts, I well up inside, my vision gets blurry and a tear or two (or more) may escape to trickle down my cheeks.  Thank goodness for Prince Charming who not only puts up with more than his fair share of chic flicks, but does not make fun of me when I get emotional about them.

 

-My birthday.  This is a new one, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I am now officially “middle-aged.”  My forty-third birthday happened recently.  I wept a lot of the day.  I am not the weepy type.  It was because of loved ones that were no longer there to share it with me.  The silly one was a dog who passed away about eight months before my birthday.  The other was my mother who has been gone for 1-1/2 years.

 

-Milestones of my children.  I will admit to having a few tears in my eyes at Chic’s Kindergarten graduation this past May as well as Chicklet’s promotion from Cradle Roll to Kindergarten at church a couple of weeks ago.  I love that my children are growing, and I am really not into babies.  But I see how fast they are growing and realize before I know it, they will be gone.  I love our life the way it is now.  I know I will love it more as they grow, but they just bring so much happiness right now.  That must be why I get a little choked up at big milestones.  And those milestones are not THAT big, but I do not have a child in the “baby class” at church anymore!

 

-A good book.  Everyone has tears over a good book, right?

 

-Music.  I love a lot of kinds of music, but mostly listen to classical music.  When I am at a play, musical, symphony or opera, the music often brings tears to my eyes because being there is just so powerful.

 

-Parades.  I have no idea what it is, but I am grateful that parades are outside and sunny because I always have a few tears at them.  It happens when the loud things go by—the 128 Harleys all revving their engines.  Or the fire trucks.  Or the antique cars.  Some kind of emotional response to sound, I realize, but I am still not sure I understand it.

 

-The National Anthem.  If I am anywhere that our National Anthem is played or sung, tears come to my eyes.  This does not happen if it is on television or the radio—just in person.

 

-Cards from Prince Charming.  My husband, S, gives me cards for all the regular things, and sometimes just for no reason.  I make cards—NICE cards.  He digs out my stuff and makes cards for me sometimes, but usually he goes on an enormous expedition to find just the right store-bought (usually hand-made, however) card so that I can get a new idea for something to make myself.  But what brings tears to my eyes are the messages he writes in them.

 

-Making love.  Being with my husband in the most intimate way releases emotions that do not get released any other way.  It is something I cannot describe.  Sometimes the only expression I have left is tears.  Obviously good tears. 

 

There are other things that are more mundane.  The thing to really know about me, however, is that my emotions are deep beneath the surface most of the time.  Most of my real-life friends would probably be surprised to know that all (or even any of) these things bring tears to my eyes.  But you, my bloggy friends, for some reason are getting a peek deeper inside.  But if we are ever together at a parade?  Don’t expect me to take off my sunglasses!

 

by Louise Cannon