I have had multiple people tell me lately that my life looks so put together and I look like I am doing everything right. My response…”Thank you. Why do you say that?” Their response…”The pictures you post on Facebook are great!”
Ohhhh Facebook – well almost all social media to be exact – you can be so deceiving. The meant-to-be compliment (which I appreciate, don’t get me wrong) is usually said to me when I have just hurried to get somewhere and was miserably late, just had a melt down or was ready to sell my children to the highest bidder (not really, but I am sure you get my drift).
There are so many things that Facebook doesn’t show that go on in my life, in all of our lives. It is so easy to hide behind the “good” and “perfect” pictures that we post social media. I don’t do it purposefully, I promise. The good times are when I have my camera out, the bad times on the other hand I am as far from my camera as I can get. But for the sake of sharing the rough times too here are some things that Facebook doesn’t show. Hold on tight because it’s gonna get real…
- My toddler currently screaming his head off in his room because he doesn’t see his need for a nap
- The easy, convenience meals in my fridge and freezer for the days I can’t deal with life which means I can’t figure out dinner either
- The melt down I had the other day when I accidentally cut my babies finger instead of fingernail and blood was EVERYWHERE – just ask the five people I called in hopes to be assured everything was alright)
- The time(s) I loose my patience with my toddler because he’s “not walking fast enough” and I catch myself yelling at him to hurry up
- The times I sit my kids in front of the tv in hopes to do what I want to do – blog, sew, clean, shower, browse facebook…
- The pile of bills that we have because we are (were, we are getting better) terrible with our money (debt sucks y’all)
- The two door car that I have because I wanted it and didn’t think about how it would effect if I ever had kids – yay for now having two kids, a double stroller and a weeks worth of groceries…
- The fights my husband and I have because we think on two total ends of the spectrum…
- The piles of laundry, the trail of toys, the food smashed into the carpet
- My temper…’nuf said
These are just a sneak into what Facebook doesn’t show, there is so much more and a laundry list of things that are solely my problems. I have started to limit how much I post on Facebook and try to add some of the everyday craziness in there too, but that is just my personal preference. I am sure you don’t want me to air my dirty laundry all day everyday all over social media and honestly, that’s not the place for it. But I do what you to know that I am just as normal and messed up and crazy as the rest of them. I strive for authenticity and realness and don’t want you to think I am any better then the next guy. Emily Ley put it perfectly – “I will hold myself to a standard of Grace NOT perfection.”
How can we still be real and authentic when posting on social media without airing our dirty laundry (cause nobody likes that)?
