Crying in public

[justsomeone]

Saying goodbye is always hard.

My boyfriend has visited me most of the times, so I've pretty much avoided crying in public as I would be driving him to the airport in my car. But now I'll be visiting him, which means I'll be the one going back on buses, trains, and airplanes. When I visited him last, I managed to keep up the facade until I was alone. But I think that was only because I had a lot on my mind, so, it does not mean I'll be as lucky this time. I get super red and blotchy when I cry, so I'm scared that it will happen because it becomes so extremely obvious.

I just wondered how you guys experience and deal when it comes to crying in public.
Do you have any tips on how to avoid it?

[Redheart14]

I couldn't stop it. I cried a lot. It was just showing how much my fiancé means to me. People looked but most were giving reassuring smiles and I started to notice there were other people crying at the airport too. You said having other things on your mind last time. Maybe that will work again .

[Littlewhiteflower]

Hello to you,

Each time we visit, we are quite emotional in the last couple of days of our visit. I usually cry a lot. So when it's time to go to the airport, most of the crying has been done in the days before Haha. I usually cry just a bit at the airport because obviously, it's a "sad" moment. The first time was hard. People were looking at us but believe me, most of them do not even give a second thoughts to others around (that's what I do in an airport anyway).

The second time, I was the one visiting. We said goodbye outside of the airport and there were not a lot of people around. I cried a bit but once I went inside the airport, I was busier trying to find my way around than focusing on my sadness.

I don't think there is "ways" to avoid it. Everybody is different. Everybody can react differently too. My SO never cried in public even if I know he was sad too. I think the best thing is to focus on the idea of a new visit and that the goodbyes are not forever.

Anyway, I don't think there is anything shameful to having emotions. I too usually become red and ugly when I cry haha. I think the only thing you can do is just focus on yourself and not people around you because, in the end, they are just other persons in an airport. It's okay to cry.

Best of luck

[Kerry92]

I know how you feel. I went and sat in the airport toilet for like an hour crying my eyes out when it was my time to go home. Finally managed to compose myself and took a seat at the gate where I avoided all eye contact with everyone as I could feel myself well up and as soon as I sat on my plane seat and looked out the window I just broke and wailed my eyes like a crazy person.

What helped me deal with it was thinking of all the good times we shared on our visit and how it wasnt long till the next visit. Keeping yourself distracted from the present can be good with coping like planning what you will do on the next visit.

I wouldnt worry about it too much tho its a perfectly normal thing to do and yes it may be a bit embaressing but there will be lots of others in the airport sharing your feelings.

[Mariaa]

I know how you feel, it's normal, when I was on my LDR with my ex, I used to cry a lot and I put sunglasses haha 🙈.
I have tears now thinking about all these beautiful memories with him ...

[Lio]

I usually don't cry in public. When my SO was in the airport to go back to her country, I felt I was almost going to cry, but I didn't. She felt it, and tried to comfort me. I think I wouldn't feel embarrassed, I wouldn't care about what people think. My SO cried the first time I left her country, and I didn't think it was ridiculous nor embarrassing or anything like that. It was a proof of how much she loves me. She tried not to cry the last time I was going home, she cried later though.. But this is a normal feeling, it's not something to feel ashamed about.

[Michelle]

I cried almost every time Frank and I said goodbye. Usually I was able to get myself together once on the bus, especially if I had to sit next to someone. One time at the bus station we were saying goodbye and I had silent tears running down my face. It was probably 15 min before the bus was leaving and I hadn't boarded yet, and the ticket counter person, over the loud speaker said something along the lines of, "You've said goodbye to him enough. Board the bus." I don't remember the exact wording but it was mean, rude, and there was plenty of time I remember being so apalled that he spoke directly at me over the loud speaker that way. We had parted ways at the bus station many times before that and we had never held up the bus. Anyways, I just remember that time being especially hard.

[Lyssa]

I definitely don't think crying in public is something you should be embarrassed over. About a month ago, I had to say goodbye to him at the airport and I cried and cried while he hugged me. For me, when we're saying goodbye, the rest of the world goes away completely. The people walking right past me are a million miles away.

You never know who is at the airport that day having to say goodbye to someone they love for a while. Never feel like you have to put on a brave face for the sake of what a stranger may think of you. Take the last moments you have with your SO for however long to hold onto each other. The moment is about you two. Just you two. That's what makes it so special.