Charles Dickens Great Expectations Quote

[Colugo]

Could someone please explain the meaning of the following quote to me?i don't quite understand it, thanks!

"Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts"

[Quizmonster]

It's OK to cry because it shows our true humanity, even though we usually seem to be immune to such soft feelings.
Figuratively, the idea is that the water of our tears is just like rain falling on earth which has been parched for a long time, giving it time to become fertile once more.

[crokepark]

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