To Complain: Divine

I have no legitimate complaints. Seriously. I have a loving husband, two beautiful sons, my health, a warm group of friends and family, money in the bank, food on the table and a roof over my head. This puts me ahead of most of the human race.

And yet, I cannot quite subscribe to the idea that when one is tempted to complain, it is better to instead count blessings. Not that endless ranting is a good idea, or even good for the soul. But the occasional vent...well, some might disapprove, but it works for me. If I spend a few minutes (OK, maybe fifteen or twenty) grumbling about something, it clears my head and I can focus not only on the good parts of my life, but on the ways I can improve the situation that sparked the complaint in the first place.

A good gripe requires a few ground rules. No blame: that makes me feel worse. Specifics: I need to say what is really wrong, and not rant about generalities. Brevity: I am prone to nonstop yapping and that is counter-productive. A willing ear: my mom and my husband often draw the short straw on this one.

I believe the "count your blessings" avenue works for some people, but I don't believe it is the only way to manage life's minor tremors, and I don't think it those people occupy higher moral ground. Yes, there is nearly always someone with worse troubles. But if a harmless vent redirects that energy toward solving the problem, then complaining isn't a character flaw; it is a way of processing information.