Feeling Sorry for Yourself

Why is it perfectly acceptable to feel for someone else...feel their pain, cry tears for them, understand why they may be sad...scared...closed up...etc, but not acceptable to feel sorry for your own pain, cry tears for your own losses, shattered dreams...feel compassion for yourself?

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself!"

I never understood that saying, and I believe I never will.

Whenever I hear it, I picture in my mind's eye a parent who has just beat their child...or a husband who has just slapped his wife and those words are coming out of their mouth while their victim cowers and cries. Words from a guilty party that doesn't know how to deal with their own pain ...so...they need to lash out at others...words that demean another, and do not respect the experience of another...their existence, their pain...their loss. Yes, to me, to tell another person not to feel sorry for themselves, is telling them to ignore their own emotions because you yourself don't know how to honor yours.

Maybe I am off base with this....but......

FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF..if that is what you need to do. Cry those tears...respect yourself when others haven't.....learn from your own emotions what you never want to happen again....learn who you are...grow...and then more forward.

Don't ignore yourself....don't stuff those emotions...and please don't let ANYONE else EVER tell you how to FEEL!

ok...that's my vent for the day.......................