Becoming Pinocchio

My emotions have been front and center lately.  This is very peculiar for someone who had to force tears at a Make-A-Wish Foundation training session while watching movies of children with terminal illnesses.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not cold hearted by any means.  Its just that my emotions are pretty stuffed controlled, and I tend to choose when and where to let them loose.  That occurs usually only once or twice a year.

Lately, that is not the case.

Just today, I found myself in tears on three separate occasions, and more seem to be at the brim.  Overall, I am rather happy, but certain images or stories will elicit strong emotions within me where normally I would think, "oh, how touching", and move on with my day.  Unless its a Disney cartoon with a human/animal or animal/animal bond, I remain pretty dry-eyed in the most heart wrenching movies.  I shed not one tear during Stepmom or My Sister's Keeper (But throw in Ice Age or Brother Bear and I sob uncontrollably).

So it was rather odd to feel the tears travelling down my cheek after watching J.R Martinez's performance on Dancing With the Stars.  A Dancing show made me cry!  Me!  Very strange. 
http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/10/jr-martinez-on-dancing-with-the-stars-an-inspiring-tear-jerking/

Then, while watching a video clip of a young woman hear for the first time after getting hearing implants, the tears fell again. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsOo3jzkhYA&feature=player_embedded

Most would agree that both stories are touching, and most would even shed a tear.  Its just a little out of the ordinary for me.  And just the other day, my mom informed me that she was saying nightly prayers for a friend of mine.  Good thing I had my sunglasses on because my eyes welled up with tears and that familiar lump surfaced in my throat.

Perhaps its because my life has been a little more emotional.  Not necessarily my life, but several of those who are close to me. 

Or perhaps, like Pinocchio, I am becoming a real girl.