It doesn't take much to make me cry. Give me a scene from a movie, TV show, or even a commercial, the medium doesn’t matter. I will cry if it happens to have an emotional moment that moves me. It doesn’t even have to be a heavy, dramatic scene. If it tugs at my heartstrings, I am going to cry. I'm a teddy bear, softie-type in that way. I can't help it!
Sad moments are a given, but I also cry about happy moments a lot. There is something about seeing a happy moment that makes me think that they make the sad ones worth it. Experiencing some hardships to be able to appreciate how good life can be later.
The term people might use to describe me would be that I am a softie. Someone who wears her heart on her sleeve. Someone who does not find it hard to share and relate to the feelings of other people. People have called me sentimental and empathetic because of this. Unfortunately, it also assumed that I was weak and a crybaby because of it.
Being a heart-on-my-sleeve type of girl might make people think that I'm a pushover. The kind of person that people would take advantage of. But the thing is, my empathy is not natural to me. I was not born this way. It came from years of life experience, heartbreak, and disappointments. It came from learning from the tough times. It gave me the understanding that everyone has those low moments and how bad they can be. Been there. Felt that.
With that understanding comes the knowledge to not take everything at face value. This is why as much as I can empathize with others, I can also be a person who is cautious about them. It’s a negative idea, but we can all admit that we can't trust everyone. Not everyone has good intentions. It can be hard to see if people are being sincere or not.
I was once a person who trusted people too much. I had to learn the hard way that no matter how good or sincere you are, people will not always be the same way. There will be people who exploit that empathy and that vulnerability. I learned that no matter how much I can feel for other people, there are moments when I should put myself first.
Does being careful make me a pessimist? I have to say no. I would like to think that this makes me more mature than anything else. I can have empathy for other people, but I tend to also guard my feelings at the same time. To me, that means I can be sympathetic to the situation of others, but also do it in a way that does not harm me. Experience has taught me that I can be a better friend/person if I can manage my feelings about any situation. I admit that it is easier said than done. But I try to do it when I can.
I used to be the type of person who had so much empathy for others that I sometimes went above and beyond for them. I would feel and worry and do things for others to the detriment of my well-being. That’s not a healthy thing to do. That’s why I try to have a bit of caution and keep some distance, no matter how much I empathize or feel for other people.
Having people in our lives who have that empathy to share in the lows and celebrate our highs with is precious. I am grateful to have those people in my life. I also feel gratitude for having the opportunity to be the same for them too.
I'm glad that the experiences I have had in my life have molded me as someone who can empathize with others. They did not harden me from understanding the joys and pains that life may bring. I love that I can feel and immerse myself in the emotions that this life has to offer.
Life sometimes makes it hard to be vulnerable. To feel and be able to allow people and moments to move and touch us in so many ways. Life can make it hard for us to allow ourselves to get involved and understand how other people may feel. But I also know how important it is to have someone who can empathize with you in both the good and bad moments. And how valuable it is for us to be able to know how to feel not only for ourselves but for others as well.
What do you think?
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