What is it like to be an emotional person when everyone tells you you're overreacting? Or that you take everything way too personally? Or that you're making everything about you? Well, it doesn't matter if you know the person or not. These comments hurt. Being one of the "snowflakes" conservative media often talks about, I struggle with caring too much about everything, every single day of my life. It's who I am. I may not cry when my favorite fictional character dies in "The Hunger Games", but tell me I did something wrong or yell at me and I turn into a blubbering wreck for hours.

If you're also an emotional person, you can attest to how horrible it is to receive the "can I ask you something?" or "we need to talk" texts. What are they going to say or do? It's very hard for me to get these kinds of messages because I want to be prepared and want everything to be perfect, so when something unexpected comes along and I know I have no control, I struggle.

For me, it's all or nothing. Since my emotions are invested so deeply in everything I do and everyone I know, I can't be in the middle of something. I want to either be your best friend or not. What's the point in faking small talk if we both know it's only for show? I want genuine relationships, not ones based on working for the sake of saving face.

Why is it that being emotional is seen as being weak? I think that being emotional makes myself and other emotional people strong.

I am the one who cares and loves so fiercely that you will never have to question my dedication or loyalty. I may be the one who has difficulty with sudden conflict and unforeseen criticism, but I will never stop caring about someone no matter what they've done to me. I will never stop caring about something no matter what happens. It will be hard for me to get back up on my feet after being torn down, but I know that each disappointment and rejection is what makes me who I am.

Something that's helped me recently is the saying, "Your response is your responsibility." We can control our own reactions, but we can't control what other people say or do. Being an emotional person who cares immensely, it's difficult for me to understand why other people don't react or act the same way I do. But shouldn't I just be worried about myself? It's like what all my elementary teachers used to say - let Hope worry about Hope and everyone else can worry about themselves. It's not my job to keep everyone else in check.

My job is to protect myself and my emotions, which is very difficult to do when any little thing can send me spiraling into a whirlwind of anxiety and worry. I may need to cry it out or escape into the pages of a book for a while, but I know I'll heal. I know that being sensitive, empathetic, and emotional is what makes me who I am, and I wouldn't trade that for the world.