Our child may cry for a lot of reasons. The cry may be a plea for attention. She may cry because she is scared or injured. Sometimes we are in a ready state, able to understand our child’s needs, and to provide for her. At other times, we are distracted and don’t fully comprehend our child’s needs. This verse directs our attention to something deeper than our child’s words. The words are a cue to become mindful of our child’s inner state. There is a heart that is beating faster, tears that are not just drops of water; the salt content in our tears is identical to that of the salt content in the ocean. If we recognize our child’s tears for what they are, an expression of earth’s most vital source of life and energy, we can better understand that our child is engaged in a genuine quest for our help and protection. This does not mean that we drop everything to attend to our child every time she cries. But if we break away from what we are doing and really listen to our child, we can come to acquire a truer understanding of our child’s needs and the means of helping them.
