Ugh. I don’t know what I caught last week, but it’s the most sick I’ve been since I had salmonella over the summer, and I’m honestly still recovering.
I can’t emphasize this enough: IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO COMPLAIN WHEN THINGS ARE NOT GOING WELL.
I don’t care what anybody says to the contrary.
You know what?
I think being told to stop complaining is incredibly harmful, and when children or adults are shut down when they complain, it’s by folks who don’t know how to cope with their own emotions.
Generations got hit with this! Poor, traumatized generations who got told to quit crying and just deal with it (also, keeping certain people from complaining does a VERY good job at protecting the wrong people).
That’s what I think.
And that trauma of being forced to never acknowledge your own suffering—somehow turned a badge of bravery to never ever complain.
THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE.
COMPLAIN MORE.
Why??
For one thing, it is the beginning of processing the hurt.
It helps you let the suffering go by talking about it.
It also can help you find solutions. Sometimes just talking it out, you can find a solution to the problem all on your own.
But also, getting someone’s else’s perspective can shed extra light on it—offering an angle on the issue you couldn’t see before.
Also—and most importantly—you know you’re not in it alone.
Talking with someone you love and trust lets you know someone else sees you.
But you’ve gotta give people a chance.
You’ve gotta let yourself be seen.
Anyway.
I believe in complaining.
It’s a gift!!
I mean, as long as you don’t let yourself get stuck.
Anyway. Thank goodness I had the movie Smile! And I had my guitar. And Paul and my boys. And my trauma bunny. I’ve named her Ripley, after my favorite fictional character I didn’t create, named Ripley.
And I also got to work on my book!
See? Complaining helps you make room in your brain to truly count your blessings, and see the beauty in the world around you, and how freakin’ awesome you really have it.
It’s part of healing, folks.
Seriously, Smile and Smile 2 are two of my favorite movies, ever. Smile 2 is up there on my list of perfect movies.
The end.
📚🌹
