I (26f) posted graduation photos from 2 years ago on social media. I posted a few self congratulatory comments about graduating despite having a learning disability and severe mental illness.

My friend (24f) said that I should be careful with what I post and I should not be celebrating myself so much on graduation day because not everyone can “get a degree by having rich parents pay for it” (her words) and that I should “check my privilege” before calling myself a good student.

I said that I have been financially independent from my parents since I was 21 and I paid for my own degrees by working and taking out loans.

She said “oh, ok” and took it back and I said that even if my parents paid for it I should still be able to celebrate myself.

I asked her how she would feel if someone told her that she shouldn’t be celebrated on Mother’s Day because she relied on her parents’ money to raise her kids or said she should check her privilege before calling herself a “good mother” because she wouldn’t be called one if she didn’t have her parents’ money.

She started crying and said that I was being cruel and I said that I was saying the same things she was saying to me.