It's OK to Cry

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Psalms 30:5 KJVhttps://t.co/fjn6HLA5ad

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) September 8, 2020

Throughout 2020, we have lost a lot of our heroes, relatives, contemporaries, and people who have impacted our lives more than we ever imagined.

Kobe Bryant.

Congressman John Lewis.

Congressman Elijah Cummings.

Chadwick Boseman.

George Floyd.

Breonna Taylor.

Georgetown Hoyas men’s basketball Coach John Thompson.

Countless legends of our ‘hoods and families, including my own cousin Kavon.

Yet we are told to stay strong through all of the circumstances not only within our own communities but also in the face of sheer hatred. But when the strength runs low and we find ourselves alone, we can finally exhale…and we wail. I didn’t say cry, nor did I use the word sob: I SAID WAIL.

Wailing is OK; sometimes the pain is too great to have to carry alone, and there may be underlying conditions for the visceral reactions when we do finally cry. For a season, we have to allow ourselves the time to grieve – and contrary to how visitors see things – in our own way. No one can legislate how you should feel, nor shall they feel that those sorrowful feelings require a specific expediency to his or her own selfish desires.

Finding about Red via social media Thursday #rilcuzzo #ItsOKToCry pic.twitter.com/rGmBsQ2KMN

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) September 7, 2020

Feel free to be dejected.

Accept the dark days in the valleys of life. We are not always meant to be strong, and shedding a tear is part of being human as we are not robotic. Besides, letting it out does wonders to our collective blood pressure as it relieves a valve that we suppress to prevent any sign of weakness.

It is OK to cry.