Why is it so hard?

Criticism for our family usually comes in waves.  It'll start with one person's comment or action to one of us and then it seems others follow and before you know it all of us are getting a heaping dose of it.  I understand that nobody's perfect, our family is aware of that.  We love spending time together.  We are outside building snowmen in the winter, playing tennis in the spring, water parks and pools in the summer and raking leaves and jumping in the piles in the fall.  We enjoy playing together and actually have to work very hard to make the time to do that.  It almost takes priority on weekends so that all of us have some release from work and school.  My favorite time of the week!

The last few days have been outstandingly beautiful here in St Louis and it's impossible to stay inside!  There's been bike riding, trampoline jumping, we set up a badminton/volleyball net in our back yard recently, we've played tennis a few times already and for long hours at a time ( we never wanna stop lol) and park trips in the afternoons for our five year old as often as weather permits.  We took advantage of the annual jump jump pass at Kokomo Joe's, any rainy day our hours are spent playing indoors, meeting new friends.

We try to make it to church every Sunday, health permitting.  Hahaha first one by one we had a cold, then we all got the stomach flu, then we all got another cold with different symptoms and now we're doing pretty good so we're anxious to be active which I love because I definitely need it.  Cold weather makes you feel all cooped up and you feel like you're gonna burst when that first warm day, that tease of Spring comes!  That was a great day!  Followed by sleet and snow the next few days lol.
I love opening all my windows and getting the stuffy winter air out, especially with all these colds jeepers.  I actually love attending church and feel disappointed when I never get to go.  Bugs me.  I like the peace I can find, how it challenges me to think and grow.  Wonderful feeling.

I feel uncomfortable lately around people that I felt so comfortable around and for the life of me I can't figure out why.  It's almost like I'm not allowed to be myself.  I don't go out of my way to be abrasive, or rude in any way.  I love to help out.  I love to smile at people that look like they need a smile, and hug people who look like they need a hug.  I love to feel inspired and encouraged to study the world around me and take it all in.  But lately I just feel so uncomfortable.

Why is it so hard to just be yourself and accept that some people will always choose to misunderstand you no matter what you say or do?  Offering judgments and criticisms that might have nothing to do with what's even going on in your life.  I don't get it.  It's hard not to do it, we all work hard not to in this family especially with each other.  It's hard to have it happen to you when some easily take you out of context.  I'm trying to understand.  Trying to not be that way myself, avoid negativity and drama.  Am I missing something?