Every now and then, I have to take a break from social media, especially if I am going through a particularly busy season of life. It’s hard to see a mom friend celebrating date night when my husband and I haven’t been on a date in months. It’s difficult to see pictures of well behaved happy kids when my kids are constantly fighting with each other. So I take a break and log off until things slow down.
I totally don’t fault my friends for posting their highlight reels. Any friend of mine knows that I obviously do the same thing. Who wouldn’t? And besides, we should celebrate the wonderful things that happen in our lives. As moms, we don’t always have time to connect over coffee or even talk on the phone. But we can stay connected through social media. So in a sense, Facebook, Twitter, and Insta are a gift for us all.
Maybe the problem is not with the highlight reels. Could the problem be with our perspective on life?
When we see a fun, celebratory post by a friend and we begin to feel sad or discontent, could we consider it a nudge to make some changes in our own life? I once heard a minister say:
“If the grass is greener on the other side, it is the Holy Spirit telling you to water the grass that you are standing on.”
Ouch. I certainly resonate with that.
True confessions: I work full-time outside of my home. When I see a photo of a SAHM friend enjoying the park with her kids during the middle of the day, I start resenting the fact that I’m at work. But instead of calling my husband whining about “missing out the mommy play group”, how about I turn that around by taking my boys to the park after work, and eat something quick for dinner instead of rushing home to cook a fancy meal? This is how I can water my own grass and be thankful for it. We can have some of the things we desire, but I personally don’t believe that we can have it all. And that is OK. When we take a second look, we often find that what we have is enough.
So let’s embrace the highlight reels of others and be thankful for our own. As a woman of faith, I believe they are portraits of God’s blessings in my life. Whatever your personal beliefs, I think we can all agree that embracing the highlight reels can remind us to be grateful for what we have.
With that said, in all fairness, to my mamas out there who like me, sometimes struggle with social media posts, read this: no matter what I post on this blog or on social media, please understand that my family is a hot mess. I present to you:
Ten Things That You Should Know About My Family {The Browns}
1.Even though we attend church quite a bit, we are far from saints. Just ask our kids.
2. We lose our patience with each other. A lot.
3. We love our kids but we love them, even more, when they are sleeping.
4. We are super passionate about our careers, but Monday mornings are rough. Now that I think about it, Tuesday mornings are rough too. Wednesdays are crazy busy. Thursday gets a little happier. And Friday, well…isn’t Friday just the best day ever??
5. On any given day of the week, you will walk into our house and find lots of laundry that needs to be done, a dishwasher that needs to be unloaded. And toys. Toys everywhere.
6. My husband works most Saturdays of the month, so I call it “Single Mom Saturday” and I complain it about it. A lot.
7. He also works at our church on Sundays but since it is Sunday, I don’t complain. Ok, I don’t complain that much.
8. Our peanut butter always has a few drops of jelly in it.
9. We order pizza at least once every week.
10. I am the mom of boys and I can’t get my bathroom to stop smelling like pee.
Now you have it. And I hope this post helps any mamas out there that might feel discontent with life when scrolling through social media. Please remember, we all have to clean our bathrooms and we all have something to rejoice about. So post your highlights mamas. Whether it is enjoying a cup of coffee or finding a bargain at Walmart. Be thankful for what you have and share it with your friends. Friend me and I’ll always “like” your posts. Can’t wait to see your highlights. I’ll be celebrating with you from behind the screen!
It’s nice to hear about the REALity of life from REAL people. Thank you for sharing!
PS. My “single mom days” are Monday-Wednesday, but I secretly enjoy that alone time after the baby goes to bed. I put my feet up and watch my junk tv without judgement or interruption.
I love this! So touch truth. Thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness! Thank you for sharing! I have 10 year identical twin boys who NEVER stop fighting and… I sometimes hide in my bedroom closet for a few minutes of peace. And, my bathroom ALWAYS smells like pee too! (Is it really THAT HARD to aim for that big toilet bowl??) Those are just tips of the iceberg. There are so many more… However, as bad as it sounds, it is nice to know everyone else’s life is not as perfect as it seems. Thanks for your courage in being REAL.