Wiping away tears

Recently, I saw a photo on Facebook of my brother with his daughter on her wedding day. If I'm not mistaken, she is crying and he is tenderly wiping away her tears.

Wiping away tears is an intimate experience shared between very few people. Yes, occasionally we’re honest enough to cry in front of people. But to let them into our personal space and allow them to physically touch us in order to comfort us marks an entirely different level of intimacy. Think about it: When was the last time someone actually touched your face and wiped away your tears? 

Most often this act occurs between mother and child. Why? For several reasons.

• Children have a long history with their mothers since they’ve known each other from the beginning.
• Children feel safe with their mothers, fully believing they want what is best for them. They seek comfort from those they trust to help them through their pain.
• Children are emotionally honest creatures who, unlike many adults, don't try to carry burdens alone.

Even though we usually see mothers soothing sad children, a child will also, on occasion, return this tender expression of love. Such was my experience many years ago. 

One day, feeling overwhelmed, fatigued, and perhaps a little hormonal from the stresses of motherhood, I plopped down on my family-room carpet and cried, simply unable to hold back tears. Naturally, this weeping alarmed my children, especially my boys. With eyes darting to and from each other, they squirmed and silently looked for any kind of explanation. 

My daughter, on the other hand, was more direct. “What’s wrong, Mommy?” she asked. Doing a bit of a verbal dance, I tried to explain my honest feelings to this four-year-old without upsetting her. Unfazed and ever the problem-solver, she announced confidently, as she wiped away my tears, “That’s why Heavenly Father sent this little girl to you—to love you!”

Weren’t we all sent here to love somebody, to lift burdens, and to wipe away tears?

When Christ comes again, He promises to “wipe away tears from off all faces” (Isaiah 28:5). I hope this promise is more than just a beautiful metaphor. I hope it means one day I will actually share that intimate, personal experience with One who knows my history, who wants what’s best for me, and who can comfort me like no other.

In the meantime, especially with those we know well and who trust us, we can all probably stand to be a little more emotionally honest—like children—and let them know we’re here to love them. Better yet, we can be a little braver and reach out to wipe away their tears.