I write this on my iPhone as I careen down the subway tracks in a Q express train. My brow has been furrowed since yesterday morning and my forehead hurts. I shared something personal that made my heart swell (Grinch-style) and the reaction I was given was less than desirable.

I couldn’t figure out where things took a turn. A conversation strictly about love became (in my opinion) an ugly exchange of words, which shocked me because I love love. In discussing it with my mother (my rock) she inferred that perhaps most things (all things) are better left unsaid…

“No one even knows your name at my job, and your father is strictly Mr. Johnson.” When I started to ask why she simply said: “I don’t want them to Google you,” with what sounded like a smile.

The morning after our chat, I still can’t help but wonder: when it comes to matters of the heart, is any sharing over-sharing?

The thing is – I love to share. Sharing adds an incredibly personal touch to an interaction and that’s important to me. This is both a good and bad quality: things I may share in confidence are often telephoned far more than I am aware.

And in no way am I meaning to sound self-important, trust me on that. But as I grow older (and part my hair in a way that glorifies my single gray strand), I’ve begun to learn that spreading gossip is exciting at any age, no matter how boring the subject is. That’s why my mother bites her tongue at work. I’ve also learned that it’s not easy for everyone to enjoy your happiness. And that’s okay too because we never know what someone is going through.

So, as I continue to better myself in 2013, I’m going to learn how to button it up, to reel it in, and to better cherish my moments in a personal way.

What about you? Do you share or is mum the word on personal things in and out of the workplace?