Tear Factor

Traditionally my family has been teary-eyed. It happens at good occasions or not... with good reason or not.. Its like everyone has a tap affixed somewhere. And the moment they want to, they can cry. That includes the women and the men. No offense meant. Everyone has their feelings and as someone says anything is better out than in. And with my wedding that just happened, there was no better excuse really. For me, its a different type of tap. My tap is turned on when people I really love are in tears... no matter what the reason.. even if they are weeping for a silly movie. So the first tears started at home everytime they thought of the 3 day wedding festivities. I wasn't so affected by that maybe coz I expected it. But my tap burst on oonjal day especially when I saw my dad in pools of tears.. I couldn't see my brother then.. I assume he was in tears too.. And I choked. Thats when S smartly moved me away while hushing in my ear that I would be ruining the wedding pictures. I calmed down.. And the next time I got close enough to dad and he was not in tears I told Appa that that was it for the tears. It was a happy occasion and we had to make it one. My biggest worry at that time was that I would burst out crying when the thaali was tied- the sacred moment for all teardom and importantly the defining moment of the entire wedding. The ceremony proceeded surprisingly fast and soon I was handed the koora podavai - the red and gold traditional brahmin wedding saree.. and before I knew it, I was on Appa's lap for the mangalyadharanam. I was a li'l panicked, a li'l calm and I stared around for some reassurance. And I got it in S Mama... who subtly shook his head from side to side to indicate that I wasn't to weep. I looked up at S - the thaali in his hands. And a moment of surreal calm set into me. And I could see just him and thankfully he wasn't crying. :) In a moment.. it was over. I was married! And I hadn't cried and thats when the double thumbs up came. I am told it was captured on a friend's camera's video... And I am sure it will be in the official one as well. And then I heard the tears... my patti, my Amma, my Appa and who not. This time I was sure though. The tears were all happy.