My Sadness Superpower

Have you ever had one of those days where all you can do is cry?

I don’t mean the kind of cry that follows heartbreak or tragedy—although those certainly have their place. I mean the quieter kind. The kind that sneaks up on you after a string of long, exhausting days. The kind that comes from carrying too much for too long. No single reason. Just a slow build-up of sadness that finally needs somewhere to go.

I’ve had days like that—plenty of them. And over time, I’ve learned not to fight it.

When that sadness starts pressing in, I don’t try to busy it away or pretend it’s not there. I lean into it. Sometimes that means sitting on the couch with a blanket and a sad movie I’ve already seen a dozen times—because I know it will open the floodgates. It gives me a safe place to let the tears come, and something about that feels healing.

Now, if you ask my daughter Jessica, she’ll tell you I’m overly emotional. And honestly, she’s not wrong. She laughs when I tear up over silly things—like when I start crying while telling her about a touching Hallmark commercial. I’ll be describing a sweet moment with a grandparent or a rescued dog, and I’ll get choked up before the punchline. She just shakes her head and says, “Seriously, Mom?”

But what she sees as “too emotional,” I’ve come to see as part of who I am. I feel things deeply. I cry easily. And I’ve stopped being embarrassed by that. I’ve come to realize that sadness isn’t a weakness. No, it’s my superpower. Seriously. I’ve unlocked the ability to cry at commercials, TV shows, and even random puppy videos—an emotional strength, if you will.

I’ve learned that sadness doesn’t last forever—not when you give it room to be felt. When I let myself cry, when I lean into those feelings instead of stuffing them down, something inside me loosens. It doesn’t mean everything is suddenly fine, but I always feel a little lighter afterward. Like I’ve made space for hope again. That’s the thing about sadness—it just wants to be noticed. Once it’s been seen and heard, it tends to quiet down on its own.

We live in a world that praises strength and composure. But I’ve found that real strength looks different. Sometimes it looks like tears. Sometimes it’s turning on a movie just to let yourself feel. Sometimes it’s admitting you need a moment—or a whole day—to just be sad.

So if you ever find yourself in that place—you know, the kind of day where you could cry over a spilled coffee or a touching dog-food commercial—just know this: you’re not falling apart. You’re not overly dramatic (even if your kids say you are). You’re just human. Welcome to the club.

Let the tears come. Watch the movie. Cry at the commercial. Ugly cry if you have to. Then roll your eyes when your daughter calls you a softie and laughs at you—for the third time this week. Feel it all.

Because here’s the thing: when you give sadness its moment, you’re not giving in—you’re letting go. And that’s when the good stuff—peace, relief, even a little joy—finally has room to sneak back in.

And it will. It always does. Usually right after the tissues run out.

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