I love writing. I love my blog. I love sharing. Some people might think I share a little too much, but I've found a balance with which I'm comfortable. 

But sometimes that sharing does weigh on me and I need a little break. Especially when I find out that people think some things I've shared are inappropriate or disagree with something I've written. 

This happened recently. I shared something traumatic and I broke my number one rule: I shared when I was still very emotional about the situation. I stand by everything I wrote in "Emergency Landing" and my unhappiness with how Sun Country Airlines dealt with us, but I have some regrets. 

I regret that I shared that post when I did. I had started writing it upon our return from vacation but was in no condition to publish it. I figured I would release it after a few weeks in order give me some time to process the experience and decide what I wanted to include. This is typically how I work--if I'm writing something extremely personal I need time to process it. I tend to write a first draft when I'm quite emotional but I give it several edits before I publish. 

Instead, after a few horrible experiences speaking with Sun Country, I made the rash decision to publish the post before I was ready.

Which means I wasn't prepared for the negative feedback I received as well as all the support. 

I understand that people don't always agree. I understand that people have different opinions, it's what makes us unique. It's part of the reason I love the blogging community, I love reading different opinions/ideas. Even though I may not agree, I like reading from the opposing point of view. Sometimes it helps me widen my view and sometimes it strengthens my own opinion.

I understand that people are not going to agree with everything I write. I welcome different opinions. I knew that would be the case when I wrote about my sister. 

But I was ready for it then. I had prepared myself. When I published "Emergency Landing" I had not prepared myself because I was too emotional, which made any negative feedback hurt.

For the most part the feedback I received was supportive and I appreciate that. And I'm (now) ok with the negative. But I did want to take a moment and respond to a couple of the negative things I heard.

• That I exaggerated the situation. Maybe it does seem like I exaggerated what happened. I can only share my own experience and how it felt to me. I'm not a frequent flyer. Perhaps if I was I would have felt more comfortable with everything that happened. But I'm not and I was scared. Rather, I was terrified. And I don't think it's fair to judge what should or should not be traumatic for another person. It's fair to think that you would have responded differently, but try to leave the judging out of it.

• That I was too demanding with Sun Country. I completely understand this argument. And maybe I was. To be honest, I really believe this whole thing blew up because of how they talked to us. They treated us disrespectfully and disregarded our experience. Again, I understand that in their opinion, the flight was fine; we did end up at our desired destination "safely"--nevermind the emotional stress. But I just don't understand a company taking such an firm stance of indifference on something that was clearly traumatic for it's customers. We have a couple of vouchers from this experience. We will use them. And then I will not fly with Sun Country Airlines again. It was their choice to handle the situation the way they did, it is my choice to go elsewhere with my business. Kindness goes a long way. I think if Sun Country had handled this with a little kindness I would have a very different feeling about the company.

The purpose of this post was not to call anyone out. If you were one of those people that fell into the categories above, know that I'm not angry. But I hope you can understand where I was coming from. 

I'm not perfect and I'm learning everyday. I learned a lot through this experience. I learned to take a breath before I hit publish (which I thought I knew, but sometimes a reminder is needed). I learned to not feel embarrassed to stand up for myself, which I started to feel after I published this post. I learned not everyone will agree with me, and that's ok. 

After I wrote that post I took a week off. It really took a lot out of me. Then I came back for about a week but still needed a little time away. It was the best thing I could have done because it allowed me to work through all the feelings. 

I'm still dealing a bit with the aftermath of the flight. I haven't had a bad dream about the experience in about a week, but I was having them frequently. I think the next time I get on a plane, which will probably be this summer, will be hard. I'm not looking forward to it. But I know I can do it. 

Finally, I will always wait to publish until I'm, at a minimum, not pounding the keys in anger or writing through tears. It left me a little too exposed. 

Thank you once again for all your support. The comments left on the blog, the tweets, texts, emails and calls meant the world. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again--All you need is love. And I so appreciate all the love I felt.

xo Sara