“Stop being such a Drama Queen,” Dad would always scold me, as the tears would continue streaming down my face. So I worked extremely hard to fight back the tears—hold them in as long as I could, until I was nearly bursting with sorrow and shame.
Quickly, though, I learned the Rules For Life:
- Anger is a bad emotion
- Sadness means you’re too dramatic
- Meeting your needs met is selfish and burdensome
- Happy? Take a chill pill
- Yelling is one-sided—only dad is allowed
I’d be told to:
“Just cheer up!”
“Choose happy”
“Other people have it worse”
“It’s a learning lesson”
“You shouldn’t feel that”
“You’re not over that by now?”
This was the childhood I experienced. And as I moved forward into adolescence and adulthood, these rules remain true. Here I am, twenty-one year old Caroline—emotionally bursting. Spiritually and lovingly bankrupt.
Just Another Feminist 