- Hello.

I bet you are wondering whywe gathered you all here.

- Your mission,

should you choose to accept it,

is to watch this episodeof Keeping It Real.

- Oh, like they're spies, cool.

- Yeah.

What were you gonna say?

- Oh I had nothing.

I was hoping you'd finishit for me, and you did.

This is why we're friends.

- It's true.

- Today's question comes from Susanna.

- She says, "My family hadto put our dog down this week

and we're all taking it really hard."

- Oh, I'm so sorry, Susanna.

- "I know it should be strongfor my younger siblings,

but how can I be strongwhen I want to cry too?"

(logo whooshes)

- I know how Susanna feels.

- Really?

- Yeah, when my cat diedit was the same thing.

He was old and we knew it was coming.

- But that doesn't make it any easier.

- Nope, but that can be hardfor little kids to understand.

So when my parents told methat I needed to be strong

for my little brother--

- You thought it meant, don'tlet on that you're sad too.

- Exactly.

We often hear grown-ups tellus, big girls don't cry.

- Be a man.

- I need you to be strong.

- As if showing any kind ofemotion is a sign of weakness.

- Susanna, we're here totell you they're all wrong.

- Emotions. aren't weakness.

You don't have to hold it all in

to feel strong for your siblings.

- You can cry and expressyour grief if you want to,

and you'd be in good company.

- Even Jesus wept,

and we have proof.

- In John chapter 11,

Jesus's friend, Lazarus dies.

When Lazarus's family takesJesus to where he was buried

Jesus wept.

- Verse 35 literally says,

"then Jesus wept."

That's all it is.

- So there's your permission to cry.

- It's okay to feel sad

and to let other people know you're sad.

- In fact, it's morethan okay, it's healthy.

- Bottling up your emotionswon't make them go away.

If anything, it'll make them worse.

- And eventually you'll explode.

(dramatic music)

Not, not literally explode.

You won't literally explode.

I just meant that it'llall come out eventually,

one way or another.

(bell dings)

- I have an idea!

To the lab!

(brass instrument)

This bottle is you.

The soda is your emotions.

When you allow yourselfto express your feelings--

- In this case, feelings of sadness.

- You're able to processthose feelings and move on.

(soda bottles hiss)

- But when you bury your feelings,

trying to be strong for other people,

it builds up.

(bottles shaking)

All those feelings have to go somewhere.

Eventually you'll burstand they'll overflow.

- Fire in the hole!

(soda bottles hiss)

- Get the point?

- Susanna it's admirable

that you want to supportyour siblings in their grief.

- Just don't forget that it'sokay for you to grieve too.

- Even Jesus wept when he was sad.

- His word is forever alive.

(logo whooshes)

This was Malachi's idea,why do I have to clean it?

- [Crew Member] Yougave Malachi they idea,

you said they'd explode.

- So it's all my fault?

- Come on, it's not so bad.

- Let me express my feelings.

(laughs)

- While Alitheia isexpressing her feelings,

feel free to visit usat thesuperbookshow.com

for more about all our videos.

- Next time you say, "To the lab",

I'm saying no way.

- You have to admit, it was fun.

- Totally worth it.

See ya.- See ya.

- To the lab!

(funk music)

(laughs)

Okay, this soda is you.

This bottle is youremotions or your feelings.

- Okay

(Malachi whimpers)

- Kira, Kira.

(soda bottles hiss)

Oops

(crew laughs)

Um.

- Was it supposed tospill out a little bit?

- [Crew Member] It wasn'tsupposed to spill (indistinct)--

- Yeah, we didn't getto say some to the --

- I got the hiss a littlebit and it start overflowing,

(laughs)

- [Crew Member] It's okay.

- [Alitheia] Scared me a teeny bit.

- [Crew Member] Let's clean up.