What makes you emotional?

I would have been the same, Grannyknot. It takes very little to start me off.

Grannyknot bless you. I bawled my eyes out yesterday at the news that Stephen Sutton had died. He was the lad who raised all that money for the Teenage Cancer Trust despite his own terminal diagnosis. I didn't even know him but he was from my neck of the woods and I had followed his story. A selfless inspirational young man. We lost our own 16 year old nephew to leukaemia but it wasn't even that really. I just cried my eyes out yesterday. Like you say it's sometimes just floods out at unexpected times.

Sometimes the emotion can well up and take us by surprise. A piece of music or a song or a picture just presses that button. DGS1 was staying with us aged perhaps 10 months or even less and as I spooned the breakfast weetabix and milk into his little mouth I heard a famine appeal on the kitchen radio. I just hugged him with the tears running down my cheeks as I thought of the accident of biirth which meant he had loving parents who could provide for all his needs and so many little boys exactly like.him were condemned to pain and hunger and death.

Tonight I have been to Opera North's excellent production of La Boheme. The beauty of the music, the emotion conveyed by the drama of the plot and the superb singing and acting of the cast all combined to make me well up.

It's often music, isn't it. La Boheme, Madame Butterfly, Les Miserables and various pieces of music have reduced me to tears over the years. I have to wear waterproof mascara when I go to the theatre. It first happened when I went to see Evita.

The other times are when my family do something that I find special. I just think how lucky I am to have them.

I'm so glad I no longer have to be pregnant, everything made me bawl my head off. I think I didn't watch the news for about three years with each birth.

Aida! The triumphal march!
I wanted it for my bridal entry march but my father saidNO!
It wouldn't be fair on the vicar to have the elephants, dancing girls and chariots going up the aisle?

I had a hymn 'oh worship the king ' instead?

A touch tame I thought.

On reflection, the manure from the elephants and chariot horses could have made a mess of my train?

It's often music for me too. The Easter Hymn from Cavalleria Rusticana

La Boheme, Madame Butterfly and O Mio Babbino Caro were my Mother's favourites Jane and I always well up when I hear them.

My parents took me to see The Student Prince as a very young child and my Father had to take me out of the cinema when Mario Lanza sang I'll Walk with God and again when I was taken to see the film Lily when Leslie Caron sang Hi Lily, Hi Lo.

Agus you've taken me right back to my childhood with that mention of Mario Lands and I'll Walk With God. My mother was a massive fan of his music. I can hear the scratch of the needle on the record in my mind with that beautiful tenor soaring over it.

Music set's me off too. I can't remember the last time I 'cried my eyes out' even when mum and dad passed away I didn't cry, even though I was very close to both of them. I thought I would be a wreck but wasn't. Just talking about DGSx2 is sometimes enough to make my eyes watery and put a catch in my voice.

My Mother too Grannyknot probably why we went to see that particular film. She was also a fan of Deanna Durban who I enjoyed whenever her LP was played.

I get choked up if/when (rarely) my DC say anything really nice to me! My DDinL does say some very nice things to me but whilst I really appreciate them, it's when my two say it that my heart strings twang.

Almost anything! I blame my Italian Grandfather!
Music, a beautiful view, a kind deed, a 'sad' book or film, a news report, missing my sons (after all this time!)
and on and on......

For me it is "The Lark in the Clear Air." I sang it for my mother's funeral (recorded it first at local studio - I could not have done it live). My DD (voice like an angel) recorded it too and it was played at her wedding; and then again at Dad's funeral last summer.

It is beautiful haunting music and now presses weepy buttons for me - not surprising really!

Here's Aled Jones singing it..........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-bDj4akXCE

Link is not converting - sorry - don't know why.

I know its really corny but "Honey" by Bobby Goldsborough really starts me off.

I think its the line that goes..............

One day when I was not at home and she was there all alone, the angels came............

I have a lump in my throat just typing the words. Crazy innit.

Elderly well dressed chap in the town yesterday playing Morning Has Broken. Think it was on a tenor recorder. So beautiful. Didn't make me well up though. Made me happy.

I prefer Josh Groban's version of "You raise me up" Grannyknot .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJxrX42WcjQ&feature=kp

Have a listen see what you think?

"Somewhere over the rainbow" -my mother used to sing it to me and I can't hear it even now without crying.

And Abinoni's adagio - a real tear raiser. Mum again!

DD just texted - she has just sent her lovely Y12s into their first exam, DGS into a GCSE, and DGD into an "A" Level. Says she's in bits!

'Gone too soon by' Michael Jackson.

I would like it at my funeral - I hope I can hear it wherever I am transported to.

I think as we get older, we become ever more sentimental, I wonder why that is? Music 'gets' a lot of people and hearing certain poetry read. We think more about the people in other countries that live miserable lives, and also people here [especially children] who live sad miserable lives.There is so much unhappiness in the world. Perhaps now we have more time to think about things than we did earlier in our lives, I now won't watch anything harrowing on tv, as I don't wish to think about it later.There are different sorts of emotion though, and we can't say why a piece of music affects us, it's just the beauty of it somehow isn't it?It's very strange. I can understand why we find a child appealing or a scene, but have never got why music can bring such emotion.If there are memories attached to the music, then that is understandable, but there are lots of pieces that have no memories for me but that are just spine tingling and emotional.Hearing poetry read well has much the same effect [but less so.]

The song " Long Ago and Far Away". Apparently my father sang it to my mother on their wedding day.

My brother, sister and I chose it to be played at his funeral as we thought the words so apt.

"Long ago and far away I dreamed a dream one day
And now that dream is here beside me.
Long the skies were overcast but now the clouds have passed
You're here at last!"

My mother had died 2 years before him.

God be in my head.
Played at my parents wedding and their funerals, also at my wedding and Peter's funeral.
I've asked for it at mine!

But not before the GN party on Saturday

Gilly you'll have me weeping into my keyboard at work re JG - that is really beautiful. I remember "Honey", am going to listen to it now. Some of the country music lyrics are the best for weep inducing also.