Earlier this week my grade had an annual secret Santa gift exchange event, which I only found out about the day before. I’ve always participated in them, but this particular year I’m involved in a special program where I spend the mornings at my high school and generally the afternoons (when I still have classes) at a university and do classes there, so I usually miss the class my grade does the exchange during.

I brought it up with some classmates (not the teacher because I don’t see her around a lot and I get nervous talking to them) and all they had to say that no one told them to tell me and that I was being salty. 

That particular comment hurt (and albeit angered) me to an extent because I wasn’t mad that I didn’t get a gift like everybody else, but that I felt neglected and ignored that no one, not even the teacher or my close friends thought to include me in a tradition that circles around friendship and community. I should also add that since I miss virtually every afternoon with my class, I feel substantially isolated from them compared to previous years, and this secret Santa debacle has felt like being kicked when I’m down.

Neither of my parents think ITA, but that doesn’t mean I’m not, was I possibly overreacting?