The Myth of Too Blessed to Be Stressed

"Too blessed to be stressed!" memes dot the social media landscape. It's such a catchy saying, there are shirts, a planner, even a book.

Wait. Can't I feel both blessed AND be stressed?  I wasn't aware that these two things were mutually exclusive until someone pointed it out in an annoyingly delusional way.

Like many platitudes, I worry about the message it sends. It implies if I were just more grateful, more focused on my blessings, I would be a better person. Like a mother scolding a naughty child, wagging her finger in my face while saying, "Now, now. You have nothing to be stressed about. Your life is easy. Others have it way worse. Just think about how lucky you are."

And, you know what? I am not disagreeing that I am a) blessed, b) lucky, and c) others have it way worse. What I am calling foul on is the implication that I am not allowed to be stressed because a, b, and c are true. I think that's a dangerous precedent to set, kind of Stepford Wife-ish.

This Christmas, I'm giving myself a gift, the gift of allowing myself to feel whatever it is I feel, without guilt, without strings attached, without chastising myself.

I am blessed AND I am stressed; that myth dies with me. 

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