By Sarah Wang | Staff Writer

From watching the death of our favorite animated character to being alienated by a friend, we used to shed tears for all kinds of reasons when we were children.

Do not undervalue those tears of anger or stress and characterize them as a sign of childishness. They refuel you with the energy you need to cope with pressure and to release long-accumulated negative emotions.

We grow up to become capable and mature adults, and crying doesn’t appear to be a solution anymore. It seems less and less acceptable for us to cry because of our age, and we might feel ashamed to cry in front of others.

But never underestimate the healing power of tears — tears that relieve and refuel in the adult world.

To be honest, I’m a very emotional person. My tears almost automatically come out whenever I feel wronged or have a turbulent argument.

After turning 18 years old and deeming myself a mature adult, I used to hate crying, because they caused me to lose face and appear naive in front of others. It wasn’t until my first summer job when I finally recognized how much the power of crying has meant for me.

According to the contract for my job, I should have been paid for my probation period as well, which was exactly a half month. When my first salary was given to me at the end of the next month, the salary for the half month was missing.

The financial department staff asked me to go to human resources, but the human resources staff was telling me to go to the financial department. At that moment, I realized I may never receive that portion of my salary. It wasn’t a lot, but it meant a lot for my first summer job.

Quietly, I found a corner and started crying over how I felt. The tears flooded out, and I realized how emotionally recharged I became. Those tears took away my sorrow, anger and stress. My sense came back to me after that burst of emotions, and I took my phone out and started messaging human resources about my contract. I was able to get the portion of my salary back after a period of negotiation.

Tears of sorrows are welcome as well. You can still cry over your favorite film characters, a failed promise or a friend alienating you. Tears are not a symbol of weakness; they show that you care, that you aren’t calloused and that you are still enthusiastic toward the world.

Yes, you still have the right to cry as an adult.