are you a Mushy?

Do Hallmark commercials turn your eyes misty?  Does a romantic comedy have you sniffling?  Will a sports flick cause you to cry uncontrollably?  Could an inspirational quote create a lump in your throat?  Might a hug from a small child recall nostalgia?  Would a Packer win within the last 30 seconds of a game bring tears to your eyes?  Do you fight back emotion at the sound of beautiful music on a cool summer night?  When you see an elderly couple walking hand-in-hand, does your breath catch in your chest as you smile at the sight?

If you've answered "Yes" to any or all of the previous questions, you my friend, are a Mushy.  As a Mushy, you may have been roused with emotion by the mere reading of those questions.  It's safe to say, that as a Mushy, you are on the verge of tears right now because you can think of a specific time and place when you were in an exact or similar situation.  Mushies are people who carry tissues with them at all times:  to church, to the movies, in the grocery store, listening to the radio, weddings, funerals, parties, reunions, graduations you name it - if you're a Mushy, you require tissues.  A Mushy is a person who is not afraid to cry in public and often lets the tears flow freely in private.  A Mushy knows how to cry tears of joy, sadness, anger, and relief.  Dear Void, tonight it is my pleasure and pride to admit to you, I am a Mushy.

I've never considered my being a Mushy to be a bad thing.  I'm sure my teachers were not always sure how to understand my frequent teary spells.  And to my parents:  Thank-you for putting up with the floods of emotion which seemed to be at their peak for a good portion of my childhood.  But for myself, the over-exaggerated emotion has never really bothered me.  At the end of a love story, I can't help but feel what the characters are feeling.  It's natural for me to stop singing on the last stanza of the final hymn, just to compose myself.  I'm happy to say the sound of my mother's voice on the other end of the phone gets me every time.  I find myself swallowing a lump in my throat when I see a sunset, or listen to rain out my window.  Mushiness is a big part of my day.

I once read that the same  diaphragmatic reflex which the body uses to laugh is also used to sob.  I find it slightly ironic for two very different emotions to be expressed in the same physical way.  For that reason, I also find it ironic that a person who shows too much emotion can be considered "weak" where as a person who shows little to no emotion is "strong."  Emotion is the very trait which sets the human race apart from all other creatures on Earth.  Having emotion makes us unique!  Don't hide it!  Flaunt it!  If you want to cry, cry.  You want to shout?  Do it.  You need to laugh out loud?  Please, don't spare us. 

To Mushies everywhere - it's a stoic world out there...let's show 'em what we're made of!