What reduces you to tears?

I know this has been asked many times before, in many different ways. Humor me.

I’m not a big crier.

It isn’t that I lack emotion or empathy, it’s just it takes a whole lot for the waterworks to start flowing. I’ve dealt with death, often. I hurt, I pain, and I do cry – just very rarely.

There is, however, one thing that will cripple me nigh instantly: animals. I grew up “Pet Household” – we always had a cat, a dog, or a combination of the two. Whenever one of them passed, I broke down.

A few months ago, a cat I’ve had for 16 years passed away and – man – I was shattered.

More recently, someone I knew had put down his 15 year old Border Collie, to which I can certainly empathize. On the comment section of his blog, someone posted this.

Yeah, I hit about 45 seconds in before I was cryin’ like a bitch.

What reduces you to tears, without fail?