Reading on the thread about This is Us and seeing that people cry watching some of the episodes got me thinking about this.
I RARELY cry. I couldn’t tell you the last time I cried. I am quite certain that I have never cried watching a TV show or film. I have one friend who cries watching some commercials. I’m curious as to why some people are criers and some are not.
Thoughts?
I cry in waves. For years, growing up, I rarely cried. Then I broke up with first boyfriend of 4 years (he had become a bit of a jerk) and I cried for 2 weeks straight.
I then didn’t cry much again for years. Rarely cried. Would feel sad at movies but wouldn’t cry. Would kinda tease others (like mom or friends) who did at movies, etc and wondered why I was so cold perhaps that I never felt close to tears.
Then infertility years hit and I cried regularly for 5 years.
Then I didn’t cry really for another several years (we had successfully and luckily adopted twice) until my dad became ill (2 years ago). As he deteriorated, I cried every time after I left his and my mom’s house (and then some).
Then my dad died in the fall, and I cry almost daily. I have found myself staring at old men in their 80’s who remind me of my dad while shopping at the grocery store, especially those with funny tshirts that clearly were given to them by their children or grandchildren. I smile brightly at them and want to ask them to coffee but instead I go home and think about them and my dad and cry more.
So not a crier unless I see a Cardinal or Robin, or a man in his 80’s.
ETA: I cried when Ukraine was first invaded several weeks ago. That was and is crushing. Now I read the news versus watch it bc it’s too hard to watch.
I look tough but cry easily. I am easily moved/touched by stories I read, movies/TV shows I watch, etc.
I don’t know why but I know it runs in the family!! There were times when all 5 of us (sisters) watched TV dramas together. We all cried during the sad scenes. Then, we all laughed about the fact that the scene made us all cried together. My mom cried easily but I never saw my dad cried. Must have gotten it from mom.
I easily cry too. Not just when I’m sad, but also frustrated or angry. Seems like that’s the way I let out most pent up emotion.
I think I used to cry when I was younger. I taught myself to ‘hold it’ (until I got home) which was necessary in the medical field and at work. That said, I get tearful when attending a wedding or a funeral. Not sure what that is about.
I never cried growing up. My dad called me stoneheart. Then, I had kids and the waterworks came. On my maternity leave, I’d cry at the sappy commercials. Little house on the prairie, I’d be bawling. Chalk it up to hormones, but I never stopped. I cry if I’m angry or sad.
I’m easily brought to tears by music (weddings, funerals, children singing) and anything heartwarming/sad that has to do with children. I can’t bear to watch anything that puts kids in a bad spot.
I also might cry when I’m angry and frustrated at the same time. Not just angry or just frustrated but both at the same time.
I also cry at happy heartwarming things.
I can’t read or watch shows where dogs die. Sometimes commercials (especially foreign ones) choke me up but cry in real time, hardly ever.
I’m a crier. Not frequently when taking my antidepressant medication, but when I take a break from them, I tear up over any silly thing sad or happy. It was the same before I started the medication.
Tearfulness is one of the diagnostic factors for depression. I remember when one of my PCPs was asking me the diagnostic questions, and asked if I cry easily. I said, no, not really, and then started tearing up after she asked me a fairly benign question a few minutes later.
I didn’t cry for weeks (just a few days) when my parents died, I just felt very very sad for months. If I hadn’t been taking meds, I probably would have cried for weeks.
Is this a trick question? 
I can make myself cry in seconds. Everything makes me tearful. Here is an example…
I just watched an episode of Ozark, Season 4. Ozark is the grimmest and most depressing show on tv. Richard Thomas is a guest star. So I remembered him as John Boy on The Waltons, and how much I loved that show as a kid. And the thought made me tear up.
Good night John Boy, good night Jim Bob, ….
Thinking about my mom can bring me to tears at random times still, almost 3 years after her death from cancer. Otherwise, pets dying, my dad’s death when it happened and for a couple months afterward, and occasional really sad parts in a movie will bring me to tears. My own health issues will too when I let myself dwell on them.
That’s it though. Commercials, songs, deaths of friends or further out people from my circle, getting hurt physically or from someone saying something - none of that will do it. I can get sad, but not to the point of tears.
Oddly enough, in many stressful situations I can be at my “best.” Back in my old Air Force training days I scored the best of my class - and one of their highest scores at the training site overall - at being able to handle situations under stress, or so they said anyway. And… I was one of the worst with everyday routine. I guess my mind gets bored easily and loves a challenge.
Not a cryer, not when watching TV anyway. I’m also in the rarely cry category.
I noticed after child birth was when I became a crier — always chalked it up to hormones!
I cry at weddings and even weddings on TV. I have cried when hearing beautiful music. Or a touching moment in a commercial (think Hallmark cards).
My son, who sings in choirs, has learned to warn me if they’ll be singing something he thinks might trigger me. Having a warning does help me prepare.
I cried at the end of The Dirty Dozen.
Back at the 8th grade dance, when Andy didn’t ask me…
Or maybe this one…
Oh, the kids sometimes give me a hard time for crying at weddings etc. I say, “you all know that I can cry at Hallmark commercials… why are you surprised?”
I’m a This Is Us crier. I cry all the time. I teared up tonight at dinner talking to dh about our neighbors moving. They’ve become really close friends.
Sometimes, I worry that I cry too much, but it’s nothing new. I’ve always felt things deeply. I come from a family of softies. My mother used to cry at Imitation of Life. I remember my brother crying at Brian’s Song. I couldn’t cry at Toy Story 3 because dh was sobbing so loudly. What can I say? We are all in our feels!
This one does it for me …
My kids are adopted and this song always does me in.
Not a crier. Except when something makes me cry.
