A cup of tea solves everything

I'm the last person (OK girl) that people would expect to see crying at work.

I shout, swear and laugh my way out of situations. I don't cry. Crying is generally perceived as a weakness (not by me I hasten to add) and, if I'm right, most people don't perceive me as weak.

Today they were wrong.

And I didn't just lose it quietly. Most women who feel tears pricking their eyes head straight for the privacy of the toilets.

I lost control of my emotions in a meeting and at my desk.

Does this change anything?

It means that a few people have seen a bit more of the real me. It's made me understand that maybe I'm stressed, but the stress won't change. It's made me realise that I do care about my job and that I take it all too personally.

I also learned something about support, and who provides it, and who withholds it.

Oh, and a cup of tea solves everything.