I'm sure we've all had someone in our lives who've told us that we are wrong to feel anger towards our parents. I've even seen an occassional post here, where someone was venting, only to receive a response that was more critical than helpful.

I say, take a walk in our shoes. We are here to vent, to take the pressure away from what we've often endured or suffered all of our lives. And we have a right to feel anger and pain.

Don't get me wrong. I used to be on the other side. I remember a friend of mine had problems with her sister and I went on about forgiveness instead of embracing my friends need to vent her frustrations. I was all santimonious, going on and on about the shortness of life. I did the same with others, telling them how I wish my mother was still alive when they wanted to talk about how horrible their mother had been to them.

I even had the nerve to tell a friend, who was angry at her mother, that she was blessed to still have a mother. I was so self-absorbed in my life and my preceived perception of the world. I went on to say how I wished I had a mother to give a mother's day cared to. I went on to say how I wished I still had my mother here to love. I didn't take the time to think that her mother was not my mother. I didn't take the time to think that her mother had been emotionally and physically abusive whereas my mother had not.

You see, I needed to acknowledge my friend's right to vent and I didn't. I was too busy being critical and judgemental. I shut her off.

So, now I'm here to tell other's of my mistake in the hopes that they can learn from it. Daily Strength is a great place to come and vent. And yes, sometimes we lose sight of the big picture, but we're human. We're all flawed individuals who just sometimes need someone to talk to about our pain. And the funny thing about pain. When our parents say something negative to us, we can't help how we feel. And when we're tired or frustrated, we can't help that we feel that way. And yes we know it's a blessing to have our parents in our lives, but it doesn't mean that we don't have a right to feel.

And we don't need to be made to feel guilty for being human.