E is for Emotions

This is a subject I've never written about before, but I have to be thankful for that. I can only hope that writing on something that doesn't come naturally to me will help me, as a writer and as a Christian woman.

Emotions are funny; I don't usually like to talk about them and to be honest, I never really think about them. But I do think that women are naturally intuitive. I’m sure I’m not the only one who can tell if someone I care about is angry, sad, lonely, happy, excited, annoyed based on being around him or her. I see it in my husband, mother, sisters, family, friends, even my students! And it’s a great opportunity to feel connected to other people, since I can chat with them about how they might be feeling, maybe pick them up when they’re down, or share in their happiness or excitement. What a wonderful way to show love. And that’s really what it’s all about, isn’t it?

But we hear all the time that women are “emotional”. It's never meant to be a compliment when you call someone that – especially a woman who could also use a nice piece of chocolate cake at the moment, thank you very much. It’s a negative adjective, flawed... like you shouldn't be that, you silly girl. You should be cool, calm, collected, logical... you should be Spock. Which isn't that bad, to be honest, but it’s not really giving a lot of credit to emotions and the sheer benefits of them.

I think that God gave women their intuition and their emotions because we are nurturers by nature. The majority of us are, or will one day be, mothers. And there's a huge strength in that. I see my mother every day loving her daughters more than anything, even when one of them is 3,000 miles from home. I saw her on one of the hardest days of her life still loving her daughters and ferociously protecting them and understanding them, putting herself last so that her daughters could breathe and be well. I hear from mothers all the time that they would do anything for their children, no questions asked. And, yes, even when we look at children who have been hurt in whatever way or for whatever reason, the strength of their mother cannot be matched. She will fight tooth and nail to ensure the safety of her children, no matter how “emotional” she may come across as.

To be stoic, to be cold, to be an army of Spock replicas, that’s not how God made us, and praise Him for that! In fact, that’s not how he made men or women, in my humble opinion. Christ Himself displayed emotion when He wept for Lazarus. He allowed the children to come to Him, and all of you mommies out there, do you think that said children were serious, statuesque or contemplative in the arms of Christ? I highly doubt it. I’m sure they were happy, probably playing with Him, trying to avoid being tickled maybe. And how sweet is that? I love seeing in films when Jesus is sharing in happy, loving, playful moments, like in The Passion of the Christ when He splashes His mother with water. In another film, I vividly remember Jesus chasing the children as He walked with his disciples. I love that! What an expression of happiness and joy!

Life is so much more beautiful when we embrace the emotions that God gave to us. Even during times of sadness or despair, we are feeling, we are living, we are alive! Thank you, Lord, for this precious gift!