What Not To Say To Me

I like to think that I'm a pretty easy-going gal. 

When stressors come I usually deal with it in the following ways:

1. Brush it off--I usually have the presence of mind to know that it's not the end of the world and will probably make a great story someday if you let it:

• I've laughed through the hunting trips where the brothers have to have a farting contest and cracking a window shows weakness
• I don't care which part of the toothpaste tube you squeeze from--face it, eventually there's only one way it can go, right?
• Whenever I'm in a home ward for any extended amount of time I usually end up in nursery because I'm good at sitting and holding a crying baby who misses his mommy. [Also I LOVE snack time at church.] 

2. I don't like being angry and for whatever reason as a result I usually start crying; generally I will start crying long before you see any sort of anger or aggression from me* 

• One day Hammon, one of the besties, decided to see how far he could push me after I lost both my keys and credit card in the same day. He thought I'd be mad, he did see a little anger before I cried out of frustration and stress and didn't want to be angry at my friend on top of all everything else.

I digress.

Now that I've convinced you that I don't generally 'fly off the handle' let me share with you phrases that will in fact transcend the "brush it off" and the "I hate this and I hate that I'm crying" states of mind.

"Calm down! Geeze"

Golly. 

That pushes my buttons; even when I'm not mad and someone says this to me I can almost instantly feel my blood pressure rise. I don't know why. 

That phrase has since become off limits between my brothers and I. 

For their own safety of course.

"Have a happy period" 

Seriously? 

What is even happy about the sudden change of hormones, my skin looking like I've been washing my face in a vat of the oil McDonalds uses to fry their french fries, maybe its the fact that suddenly I'm the most needy human alive, or the abdomen pain and vomiting that inspire this misleadingly perky phrase. 

Come on Always brand pads. 

Who said that was a good marketing campaign?

 Usually I will laugh at that phrase, but not always. Ha, get it?

 

*It became a point of laughter at fight class among brothers, coach and teammates--I had the skill but lacked the emotion to really do anything about it, with some exceptions of course.