Life, Vacation

Airport Tears

Yesterday we came home from spending a week and a half with my family in Nova Scotia. At the airport I did something very embarrassing. I started crying because the security guy told me I couldn’t take my nail clippers on the plane.

I hate crying in public. And felt like nail clippers were the stupidest thing to cry over. I’m sure there was a lot more to the tears. But on the surface it looked like I was crying over an easily replaceable item.

I had no problem getting the clippers through security when I left Edmonton. I think the first reason I was crying was because I don’t like being told that I’ve done something wrong.

The second reason was because those particular clippers are really good. I’ve had them for a long time and they were given to me from my grandparents. They got them during a trip to Portugal.

The third reason I was crying could have something to do with the fact that I was so tired from having to get up at 5:30am for the plane.

But the fourth reason is probably the biggest reason for the tears. I had just spent over a week with my family. I hadn’t seen my nephews in two years beforehand and now I had to go home to a place I don’t really want to be.

I had three options in regards to the nail clippers. I could go back out through security and mail them to myself. I could go back out through security and try to have them find my checked bag to put them in. Or I could surrender them.

I chose to surrender them because I didn’t want to go back out through security for something so silly. I started tearing up as soon as I told the guy my decision.

My boyfriend saw that I was upset. As we walked towards the escalator I burst out in tears. He offered to go mail them for me but I said no. It was such a small silly thing to be upset over. But he did not take no for an answer and went back out to mail them.

For the next half hour I stood there waiting for him to come back. The whole time I was crying or trying to make the tears stop.

He finally got back to me and we went upstairs to get breakfast at Tim Hortons. Then I started crying again. It was basically unstoppable. I said “I’m sorry for crying over something so silly.” He told me I was probably sad because I was leaving my family and I burst out on tears all over again.

Thankfully our plane had been delayed that morning or we would have missed it while he was out mailing my prized possesion. Even though the plane was delayed two hours, we didn’t have to wait long to get on our way because of our ordeal. I calmed down after eating some breakfast and made it the rest of the day without any more crying.

  1. I completely understand the crying. Last year I was in Italy and saw family that i have not seen in over 10 years, and having to leave is the hardest thing. I feel worse for them though because they have to walk places and remember you being there with them. I also cried on the way there because I had to leave my boyfriend for 6 weeks, and leaving basically my rock in life was hard. With a few weeks things will get slightly easier, but maybe it can motivate you to try and set savings aside to visit them more often. For myself it made me do that and now every paycheck I save some money so I can return there faster. Hope you are feeling better!

  2. If you’re already under a lot of stress even the smallest thing can set you off. The straw that broke the camel’s back and all that. I completely lost it over a lost pencil once. Of course the pencil wasn’t the issue, but to everyone else I must’ve looked like a crazy person.
    But it’s ok, everyone is fragile sometimes.

    I hope you’re doing better now. And even if the clippers weren’t the actual issue it’s still nice that your boyfriend arranged for you to get them back. 🙂

  3. You don’t need to feel bad about crying at the airport. It’s perfectly normal to see people crying there. Of course part of it was the fact that you’re going to miss your family. I was at the airport yesterday, and I got a little weepy myself sending off a family member. I noticed you had a birthday recently. Happy belated birthday!

  4. Sometimes it is the small things that finally break us down. It is hard being away from family, so all those emotions pile up. That was very sweet of your boyfriend to go mail the clippers to try to cheer you up.

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