Which brings me to second point: all feelings are valid. I read a post by Megan of Velveteen Mind called Hierarchy of Suffering years ago that has resonated with me ever since. You should really click through and read the post, but in case you don't, Megan explains that, while someone will always have it worse than you, that doesn't preclude you from venting about your problems. We ALL have problems. We're ALL entitled to complain about them. And we're ALL entitled to have that 30 seconds or 5 minutes or day or month TO complain about them WITHOUT being beaten over the head by how much worse it COULD be or chastened to be "more grateful." We know all these things, even if it doesn't seem like we do in the heat of our current problem.
I’ll give you an example from another blogger. I was so glad that she didn’t put “sponsored post” at the top because I wouldn’t have read it. THIS is an amazing post and what she says about the sponsor at the bottom is actually my favorite part, it’s just beautiful. THIS is how a sponsored post should be and I hope that in the same way, all of my posts are worth the read no matter what they are::
http://www.velveteenmind.com/velveteenmind/2011/12/elf-on-the-shelf.html
Read it, it’s stunning. And nothing in me wishes she would have told me at the top.