Tears of sorrow

  I've not posted for a long time and I've been absent from SL. I hope to change both of those things. My apologies to those who feel neglected.  I've missed my friends and exploring.
 
Don't read past the picture, if it bothers you to read things that don't pertain to SL.

  Last week, I learned of my uncle's death.  My tears started before the phone call ended. I had to know... Why was I crying for a person that was a source of frustration, pain, anguish in my life?  Oh, the stories I could tell...  But I won't dwell on those right now.  I can simply say I was curious about him at first. Eventually, over the years of exposure, my thoughts changed to disdain for this man, which turned to pity and sometimes compassion within our long time of knowing each other.  This tumultuous relationship of ours is significant to who I am today. I believe, the people who are in our lives leave marks into our soul.  The experiences both good and bad alter the thought process and reactions we have.
  After some research, I found that ... Scientists studying tears of emotion have detected a chemical that cannot be found in tears from irritants - it seems that simply by weeping we produce tiny amounts of a natural painkiller [leucine enkephalin] that hits receptors in the brain and, in turn, dulls our pain.
  So according to my brain... I did love my uncle, even if he was a bigoted, condescending, manipulative miser of a human. Our bodies have internal defenses to protect us from ourselves.  I was crying because my brain knew I needed to cry, even if I was not cognizant.

Be responsible...

for your own happiness.

[smiles] ok get your mind out of the gutter, or is that just me?

I was thinking of an episode of "The Big Bang Theory" (something Leonard's Mom said ... LOL)

  What I'm referring to has nothing to do with a type of gratification that can be a duel effort.  I feel a compulsion to write out my frustration.  It bothers me to see, hear or to read of someone blaming others for their unhappiness.

Monkeys: Quaintly, Elora and Wry

    For example,  I'm trying to teach my daughter Dagny to overcome this....I'll ask, "why are you feeling so angry?"  She'll respond with her jaw clenched and fists held tight against her thighs, "Anya is ALWAYS getting into my stuff, touching my stuff doing things to my stuff. Anya is ALWAYS making me angry! SHE is so annoying, she makes me..." I stop her at that point.
"Whoa... whoa... slow down..." I try to explain, "YOU can only control you.  Everyone has the power... immense power to take control of HOW you react to the things that happen around you. YOU can not make/control someone elses actions." In response to what I'm trying to explain to her, she exhales loudly and groans a little.  Welcome to parenthood.

  I am by no means an expert on this process,  I have to remind myself of this often.  Yet, when you do it's splendiferousness... there is nothing that can hold you back from enjoying life.

[reads what I just wrote and laughs...  I sound like some sort of "self help" article.]