It Makes Me Cry...

There are times in my life I think I'm super tough....

...and these are of course the times that I am the most exceptionally delusional.

I've realized lately how many things make me tear up--every time I see or hear them.  No other circumstances are necessary to cause this reaction; these things just have to exist.  And for some reason, they fill my heart so full of feelings of love and joy and sparkly goodness, that my body can't contain them, and it leaks out through my tear ducts.  So I guess they don't really make me cry... they just make my happiness overflow.

For example:

1) This Van Gogh painting.  Not the Sunflowers painting, not Starry Night.  This one.  I saw it in a museum once, and something about the brushstrokes and colors just got me! Haha, didn't see that coming.  Who knew "Sower at Sunset" would be the most evocative painting I've ever seen??

2) The last scenes of Mona Lisa Smile.  If you've ever taught in any capacity, this one will get ya.  (But just maybe, it's those Van Gogh paintings for me again...)

4) Conversations with my grandparents.  I sure love them, and they've each lived marvelously rich and inspiring lives.  All of their stories are wonderful.

5) This Maurice-Sendak-styled, 1986 version of the Nutcracker pas de deux.  Even though the quality of this video is awful, and the Nutcracker has a thin, creepy mustache, I cry every time.

6) The temple.  It always brightens my life with truth and simplicity.

I used to get embarrassed to wear my heart on my sleeve, but I've come around to being grateful to feel all those emotions (good and bad), deeply.  I mean, what a blessing to be so full of "happy", that my body just can't contain it!

#LifeIsBeautiful