Hi Shannon -- your piece just popped up on my "recommended reading." I am sorry about the comment you received—when individuals feel the need to cut down others, it's 100% about them, NOT you. I'm a single mom also, and my road over the past 20 years has been nothing short of a terrifying rollercoaster ride and I recognize the emotion in your words. I also recognize having to feel apologetic for seeming sensitive. You don't need to do that. You don't need to apologize to anyone for your feelings or how you process things. Also, a couple of times you shoot down your own writing calling it flawed. The whole part in the middle starting with "I have many flaws..." through "...I can be careless." Shannon, you are a wonderful writer. I love your style. If you feel your stories are too long, perhaps you haven't found the right place yet. Heck, the last piece I wrote was 7 minutes long. Just write what's honest and true to you, write in your voice. A laid-back style is my favorite, you know why? Because it's honest and conversational. It plays like a movie in your head. You can hear the author's voice as if they're speaking. It's not forced. The amount you reveal about your life is up to you, and if you are comfortable with being vulnerable and sharing more than another person would--that's a gift. Don't let someone bring you down for that. Maybe they just aren't your audience. But there IS an audience for you.

I apologize for the long comment. What you said was so eloquent and you seem so legitimately down about it.

A friend of mine on here just got his first hate comment, and we all joked with him to make him feel better and said, "you know you've made it on Medium as a successful writer when you've received a hate comment."

And Kathy--if you're in hiding reading these comments--perhaps you owe Shannon an apology. Maybe you had a bad day as well, or got caught up in what you thought was a witty, snarky comment, but as we writers know—words are weapons too. But mistakes happen to the best of us.