Yesterday, I had a deeply personal article featured on Good Housekeeping. I almost never generate the titles for my pieces that are published outside of this blog. This was the case with my most recent  article, I Cut My Bipolar Father Out of My Life Until I Learned He Was Dying. Since this piece went live, I have received an overwhelming response from people who have been touched by mental illness. I sincerely appreciate those of you who have shared this article on social media. It is a topic that is hard to write about, but I feel is so important to discuss openly.

On a far less serious note,  when I told my husband the topic of my essay that was published on Good Housekeeping, he said, “Your readers and editors are going to think you’ve had the suckiest life ever!” This  cracked me up.  To be fair, if one were to judge the quality of my life based on some of the recent titles, they probably would draw that precise conclusion.

Exhibit A:

I’ve Hidden My True Appearance For 3 Decades

Exhibit B:

My Rare Disease Has Caused Me So Much Pain- But it Has Also Given Me Perspective

Exhibit C:

I Got A C-Section and Almost Died From an Infection

These titles make it sound like my life has been one long string of tragedies. Sure, I’ve faced my fair share of challenges, but my life is far from tragic. Yes, just like everyone on the planet, I could create a laundry list of crap that I’ve endured. But I guarantee that my list of  joys would be far longer. Isn’t that what we all hope for- that the good days on this earth outweigh the bad?

Disclaimer:

• Yes, 80% of this post is a shameless plug to alert my readers about my most recent articles that have been published.
• I always worry that my little upbeat endings make it seem like I’m a happy drunk whose been drinking heavily. My friends will tell you that I don’t drink (alcohol). They’ll also tell you that I’m no Mary Poppins and can complain with the best of them.