Cry, Baby. Cry.

“What soap is for the body, tears are for the soul.” – Jewish Proverb

Go ahead and grab a tissue. Did you know there are many benefits to a good cry?  Tears can relieve stress, get you in touch with your emotions, it can lower blood pressure, removes toxins from the body, assists in creativity, and the most important benefit? A good cry is a reminder that you are human.  

Might I recommend to plan an evening for a good cry when it is quiet and you are alone. If you are a wine lover, a glass or two will assist in setting the mood. Lower the lights. Pull the shades. Ignore the phone. Reach for some good chocolate, and even a bag of your favorite chips. Now, pick out your sad movie. 

If you are a dog lover, stay away from sad dog stories. Just don't do it. They will scar you for life.  You'll start feeling guilty for times you may have ignored your dog, they will smell the guilt,  your eyes will become moist every time you look in your dog's eyes, and they will use this guilt against you. Don't do it. 

Remember, we're looking for a good healthy cry, nothing to set you into a mood of depression. Stick with more of the heart-felt or romantic movies. The following contemporary movies come to mind: Terms of Endearment, Steel Magnolias, Bridge to Terabithia, The Family Stone, Titanic, City of Angels (with Meg Ryan), Dead Poet's Society, Meet Joe Black,  and Legends of the Fall.  Do a double feature of Meet Joe Black and Legends of the Fall for a Brad Pitt fest, or a triple-decker Brad sandwich if you add A River Runs Through It. 

There's also  Sleepless in Seattle, " ... with this blanket over her shriveled little legs ..." okay, if you also watch the 1957 movie, An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant, you'll get the quote; Bridges of Madison County (dammit, open the truck door ...) - - and of course the usual Nicholas Sparks movies, such as The Notebook and Nights in Rodanthe. 

Sports enthusiast or in need of a "guy-cry?" Brian's Song or Rudy. 

Now if you are into some of the old classics, and they are available, the following have been tested, approved and highly recommended - -  by moi. These are major tear jerkers and make the contemporary movies look like amateurs: The Imitation of Life (1959 version with Lana Turner), Back Street (1961 with Susan Hayward), Madame X (1966 with Lana Turner), Now Voyager (1942 with Bette Davis) and Magnificent Obsession (1954 with Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman).

Movies such as Atonement, Philadelphia, The Normal Heart, and Schindler's List are exceptional and beautifully made movies, and work well for a good cry, but watch with caution as they could also whip you into depression wanting to grab that second bottle of wine. We're only talking about a cleansing cry, here - not severe despondency.



(Many of the older classics are available on Amazon - please see My Favorites)