all my friends and Facebook feeds are telling me to "Look for the bright side!" "Choose Joy" and "Find your Happy Place!" but here's the deal: I don't WANT to be happy right now. In fact, I'd rather be crabby.

I wish I was one of those women who could walk around basking in the loveliness that can be pregnancy, glowing from within from the absolutely astonishing life-creating powers I possess, beaming with the pride of collective maternal contentment. But I'm not. And that's OK.

The problem is that venting is merely a way to get temporary relief. It doesn't teach patients how to get better.

Is it possible that unconsidered everyday speech contains self-fulfilling prophesies?

Good listening seeks to understand, but it is not always silent, and it does not automatically dismiss accountability. As a result, it is decidedly not what some people are looking for: a toxic dump site.