"Despite the tears, I'm actually really happy about this," Blake said.
So, despite the tears of 16 days earlier, the Games ended on a high note, just as Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympics Committee, had expected.
Despite the tears, those who lost relatives said the memorial provided, in some ways, a time to celebrate the lives of their loved ones.
On this cool, sunny day, it seemed as though this reeling community, despite the tears, had finally begun to slip back into a semblance of its former rhythms, as the horde of news media that descended upon the city finally began to pack up and leave.
Did he get what he came for, despite the tears that he shed after his last backhand, a drop shot, had hit the net? "I think I'm very satisfied, especially with the memories that are going to stick with me from this match," Kuerten said.
For some, like St Peter's Cardross, their past – cracks and all – is, perhaps, and despite the tears, their future.
Despite the tears, the show keeps its edge.
Still, despite the tears shed, there is a real privilege in being at the bedside of the dying.
I couldn't stop smiling, despite the tears in my eyes, by the memories the songs evoked.
Some Tavern staffers professed optimism despite the tear in the eye.
