When in doubt...don't

Good Monday morning everyone. I know I haven’t been updating on a regular basis lately and I apologize for that. I’ve been spending as much time as possible with my darling Em. God knows we both need each other right now. I think myself moreso than her.

Today I would like to share with you one "Word of Wisdom", instead of the 10 I’ve been doing on Sunday nights. Or, ok, haven’t done in a few weeks but try to do on Sunday nights.

When in doubt – think about it before you say it. Or more popularly When in doubt...DON'T

Is what you say really going to be beneficial in the long run? Would you be damaging a relationship of friendship that you’ve had for years and years if you were to talk about it? Is it really your place to say what you feel needs to be said to the other person?

You may be asking yourself if I have a reason for this specific “Word of Wisdom” and the subsequent questions that follow. Well, yes, yes I do.

Over the weekend a dear friend of the family, whom I’ve known since I was probably 6 or so came by b/c she had a “burden” to talk about. It was about…my blog. She feels that I am too personal on my blog and that the things that are on my blog are, for lack of a better word, appalling. Excuse me? There is nothing on my blog that a child couldn’t read. She feels that my blog goes beyond the bounds of “what is proper”. She started getting in my face (figuratively speaking) and on me about the “content” of my blog and was absolutely appalled, yes appalled, when I told her that not only do I have friends who read my blog but that I have relatives that read my blog to keep up with me and what’s going on in my life and family. They also enjoy my articles that I post from time to time on my views, etc. Her (literally) choked response was “your relatives…read your blog?” and was so mad she was almost shaking. She then proceded to rant about "how could I write personal things about my life, my relationships with my husband, my family, my friends" on the blog. How dare I "exploit" them in that way! (That is a paraphrase b/c she said so much stuff that I don't want to write it down b/c it was just not very nice) I let her know that I appreciated her “concern” but that my blog is my business and what I choose to put on there or not put on there is just that, my business, and nobody else’s. She was livid and kept trying to push, push, push her opinions after I had already heard them ad nauseum. I told her that I loved her but that this conversation was finished.

It was neither her place nor her right to try and tell me that what I write in my blog is wrong and that I should stop. That is her opinion only. Certainly not the opinion of my family or my blogfriends or my other friends that I have in my life.

My mom was a little shocked, to say the least, as well as another friend of the family who is also friends with this other lady. They could not understand for the life of them why this family friend felt like it was her duty to take it upon herself to take me to task about my blog. My mom feels that yeah, sometimes maybe I might share a little too much about my life with complete strangers, but it is certainly not anything really to raise the alarm about like this person tried to. In doing so, she had put a definite strain on a friendship that has lasted about 25/26 years. I certainly won’t feel comfortable around her anytime soon and that is very sad b/c my little Em loves her like nobodies business. She is Em’s Nonie. Maybe my mom can take Em to see her b/c I won’t be doing so any time soon. Not until the hurt and anger are gone, or have at least subsided somewhat.

So what say you, my blog readers and friends? Do you think my blog is improper, offensive, appalling and too personal? I’d love to hear your thoughts.