Emotions, Really?
Can we talk about how I much I hate to see people cry? Last night a close friend came into the science building after going to a presentation about the representation of women (and men, too) in media. She was upset by the state of our society and how so many women find their worth in how they look or in how men look at them. She was literally crying for women and it really affected me.
It affected me because I realized how often I fall prey to this thinking. It affected me because I have so many friends who think this way. And it also affected me because my friend was crying. I was off for the rest of the night. And it wasn't because of the first two reasons I gave. It was because my friend had cried. I am the type of person who takes the emotions of the people around me and make them my own. If the people around me are happy, I become super happy. If the people around me are frustrated, I become frustrated. But the emotion that I pick up on the most is sadness or despair. So last night seeing my friend so upset caused me to be upset. For the rest of the evening I was down. I couldn't come out of my funk. It was terrible.
But this is what I am thankful for. I am thankful that God gave me a heart that is sensitive to those around me. I am thankful that He gave me the ability to empathize and understand. I am thankful that I forgive easily and that being aware of how those around me are feeling gives me the ability to make them feel loved and to comfort them. While I don't enjoy being sad, I am thankful that I have been given a caring spirit and that I can learn to be a better friend because of it.
When I started this entry, I wanted to complain about my emotions and about how I hate feeling sad. Now I just want to thank God for the gifts he has given me.
It affected me because I realized how often I fall prey to this thinking. It affected me because I have so many friends who think this way. And it also affected me because my friend was crying. I was off for the rest of the night. And it wasn't because of the first two reasons I gave. It was because my friend had cried. I am the type of person who takes the emotions of the people around me and make them my own. If the people around me are happy, I become super happy. If the people around me are frustrated, I become frustrated. But the emotion that I pick up on the most is sadness or despair. So last night seeing my friend so upset caused me to be upset. For the rest of the evening I was down. I couldn't come out of my funk. It was terrible.
But this is what I am thankful for. I am thankful that God gave me a heart that is sensitive to those around me. I am thankful that He gave me the ability to empathize and understand. I am thankful that I forgive easily and that being aware of how those around me are feeling gives me the ability to make them feel loved and to comfort them. While I don't enjoy being sad, I am thankful that I have been given a caring spirit and that I can learn to be a better friend because of it.
When I started this entry, I wanted to complain about my emotions and about how I hate feeling sad. Now I just want to thank God for the gifts he has given me.
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