A good cry

Anya had a lot of 'sads' to get rid of tonight. From going upstairs at 7 she cried solidly (and very loudly!) for about 20 minutes (during which time Sonny snuggled down and went to sleep - he's definitely inherited his father's ability to fall asleep! - and I just held her hand as requested).

Crying is the true process of becoming 'unhurt' and the freedom of tears is a child's (and an adult's for that matter) best way of staying healthy. Tears are just another way for our bodies to eliminate waste and toxins, but of a very special type. Research on the chemical content of human tears shows that the substances released in tears are those that accumulate in the body during times of 'stress' and through crying we actually heal ourselves. That's why so many adults report feeling much better after a good cry.

So what happened to Anya? She cried and cried (but didn't know why) and then just as quick as she started, she stopped, asked for a big cuddle, told me she loved me and announced that she was 'happy enough to sleep now' and started snoring!