You're listening to TED Health. I'm your host, Dr. Shoshana Ungerleiter. Have you ever wondered why we cry?

Turns out this is a uniquely human phenomenon. Crying is a natural response to a range of emotions,

from grief and sadness to extreme happiness, but there's evidence that it's also good for our health.

In her 2020,

TED at PMI Talk, certified childbirth and lactation educator Kathy Mendeas, shares why she believes crying is a gift and encourages us to change the way our culture views tears.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, we create 15 to 30 gallons of tears a year.

I am what you would call a high-volume producer.

Now, even though we do create less tears as we age, I figure by the time I'm 80, I will have filled up 40 average-sized bathtubs.

Now, crying in my early years?

Not something I would brag about.

When I was five, I thought it was a good idea to practice writing my name on the side of the house.

Outside the house.

Mama didn't agree with me much.

She handed me a toothbrush and said,

Here, scrub.

So I did.

I'd sit at the dining room table for what seemed like an eternity.

I didn't want to eat my vegetables. You probably know the feeling. I'd miss all my favorite shows

and cry like crazy. Crying was always associated with something bad. Fortunately, I grew up.

I stopped riding on the walls, started eating my vegetables,

and I entered the wonderful world of motherhood. And let me tell you, crying takes on a whole new

meaning. I was nine months pregnant, and I was sitting on the couch, looking at the front door

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