Things That Make You Cry ...

[andy-hughes]

I don't cry often, but like anyone, something can just catch me ...

I was chatting with my youngest daughter on the phone last night, and she works as a TA in an inner-city school, so deprivation is pretty much the set format for the kids she works with.

She was telling me about one little girl of about four, who is always dirty, and clearly isn't washed every day. My daughter was talking to her just before Christmas, and asking her what she wanted Santa to bring her. "A Curly Wurly Bar." was the reply. "I've never ever had one and they look really nice, so if Santa could bring me one, I'd really like that." My daughter asked if the child would ask Santa for anything else for Christmas, and she replied, "No, just a Curly Wurly, that's all I have ever wanted, just to taste one."

I thought that over about an hour later, on my own, and I cried like a baby for a child whose expectations are so simple, but still not reachable.

[Barmaid]

I dont actually think there is anything wrong with asking any small child what they would like from Santa. I think not asking them is worse. At least asking them gives them a hope, a dream, a little bit of mystery and a little bit of normality. Even if those hopes are dashed, for those short seconds that child knew what it was like to have someone interested in them.

[andy-hughes]

Exactly Barmaid.

[Peter Pedant]

oh Sqad ( "I dont cry" )
you great softie !

surely you cried when Mrs Sqad said - Sqsd, I love you !
and then added: "and I hve maxed out your credit card!"

ter-daah !

[ hey didntcha likke Ken Dodds one liner: I have spoken to my mother in law for eighteen months - I dont like to interrrupt her!]- - - sozza about that one

[Spicerack]

Personally I wouldn't 'buy' the Curly Wurly story.
She didn't say she'd never had chocolate bars (which could be for medical reasons) And one bar of chocolate costs much the same as another, in fact I seem to recall that CW's were at the cheaper end of the market.
Sounds more a piece of whimsy, a flight of fancy, that we know 4yr olds are, innocently, prone to.

[Jahulaye]

“Personally I wouldn't 'buy' the Curly Wurly story.“

That moment when... all the tears turn to enraged and furious anger, hope you’re wearing a flak jacket spicerack, lol

[Spicerack]

Not bovvered, Jahulaye. ;-)
Agree with Gromit that UP is quite moving.
Goodbye Mr Chips slays me.

[emmie]

i cried in WHSmith when picking music for my o/h funeral, i asked them to play a bit of Jerusalem and the tears came thick and fast. The till lady was quite understanding, she said that it happens quite a lot, so i was rather grateful for her words.

[horselady]

Thinking of kids from poor backgrounds, just before last Christmas my 9 yr old granddaughter said she couldn't understand why father Christmas brought loads of presents to kids who already had lots but didn't bring as many to kids who had nothing.

[zebo]

NoM. my daughter also struggled but when she gave in to the inevitable the Health Visitor said, Thank God for that, I would have advised you to do so earlier but it's more than my job's worth. We all try to do what's best for our children and it's not always what we want.

[jourdain2]

NoM - I ended up mixed-feeding my elder daughter. That worked fine. She still got whatever antibodies I could give her and filled-up on the bottle. Same daughter was in despair over not being able to feed my granddaughter - long, weepy phone-calls - who is now (at 12) taller than me and I'm 5'8". Don't feel bad.

OP - a sure and certain 'run for the hankies' for me is small children singing carols together - and always, always, no matter how many times I've seen it, the scene at the end of The Railway Children, where Jenny Agutter, says "Daddy, my Daddy" as he emerges from the steam and smoke. In fact I'm welling-up now!

[Patsy33]

I remember washing four pairs of my Mum's trousers a few weeks after she died. I wanted to give them to charity. Seeing them in a row, blowing away on washing line, suddenly opened up the flood gates! I so loved her....

[Jahulaye]

“I dont actually think there is anything wrong with asking any small child what they would like from Santa. I think not asking them is worse.”

Would it not have been better asking them “What would you like from god instead?”

Which would have covered all variables.

[Traci66]

I am an auditor for a home care company, today made me almost cry. We looked after a lady for several years, she died a couple of weeks ago and today the funeral directors rang the office to find out what we knew about her, she had no family so they were trying to put a bit of a service together for her. I thought it so sad that there was nobody knew anything about her apart from the company that cared for her, no friends, nothing. That made me a bit teary.

[gness]

I’ve been in similar situations, Andy..... and of course your daughter did the right thing by talking about Santa.....It would be horrid to make a child feel different...... I rarely cry.... when I’m upset or angry I become icy rather than tearful ....... but tonight I will be weepy knowing it’s the last time I’ll see Joan Baez live.....silent sad and happy tears...x

[NoMercy]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post on here. I don't feel so bad now. ♥️

[hereIam]

I teared up just reading about that little girl, so can fully understand andy's feelings. I cry when Noel Fitzpatrick can't save an animal he's operating on despite doing EVERYTHING in his power and I cry when I hear of yet another baby/toddler being horribly abused and I cry when I hear a sad song which reminds me of my beloved Mum. I'd rather cry than bottle up.

[douglas9401]

I last cried when watching a film about AIDS babies back in the 'Don't Die Of Ignorance' days.

Urchins sans confections isn't doing it for me I'm afraid.

[Mamyalynne]

My list, like that of many others is rather long and depends on so much but 'Injustice' covers a lot of what brings me to tears.