It's my real

I was wasting time scrolling through the iPad looking at all my “friends” posts and after about 30 minutes I started to notice a pattern. Other moms were posting all kinds of exercising photos, were sharing healthy recipes they tried and posting pictures of them smiling and hugging their kids. Which I’m pretty sure everyone, by now, has accepted that your online social life is never a “real” representation of your life but just glimpses of what you want others to see, but it made me think. Then it made me laugh...

Because while one of my friends was posting pictures of the 5k race they finished and another of a hike her and husband just completed, I giggled to myself thinking I should post a picture of what I’m doing at the moment. I’m sitting on my fat couch with the tv on and the iPad in my lap, eating caramel corn and drinking a pop. That’d be a funny post! My online friends would be probably be disgusted thinking, “Ehh, what a sloth!” But somedays, it’s my “real”. And we just don’t see very many of those “reals”.

Then I had a couple other “friends” posting pictures of their Sunday dinners they made. “Tried a new recipe for the fam! Yummm!” Then there is a picture of this amazing looking crockpot of food that could be something you see in a magazine. So I smiled as I looked up at the empty pizza boxes sitting on the kitchen counter. I shoulda took a picture of them and posted, “Too lazy and tired to cook! Ordered pizza AGAIN! Delicious!” Not making fun of my friends because trust me, I wish I had their meal and not pizza for the 5th time this month but I just wondered what the online world would think of my “real” post?

And there were several posts of my “friends” in a smiling picture hugging on their kids or enjoying a night out with their husbands. Both are great moments and I have some myself now and then, obviously, but I got to thinking if I posted pictures of my family at that moment. The oldest was mad at me and pouting in her room, the middle and youngest daughters were sprawled out on the other couch, eyes glued to their phones, no one even acknowledging that anyone else even existed. And hubby was sacked out, snoring in the family room downstairs. I wondered, should I post a picture of that and comment “Family is a Blessing” with a bunch of hearts and smiley faces? Would that be too “real”?

Anyway, not trying to knock anyone or any posts, I certainly only post the good stuff and the bad stuff, only if it’s funny or I need prayers but I just got to thinking that it might be kinda interesting and maybe a tad more fun if I posted the “real” life stuff. The dead flowers in the vase on the table, flanked by a sloppy joe dinner served on paper plates with opened bags of chips around. Every human in the house lounging around with their phones and iPads in their hands, with pop and Oreos on the coffee table. No one outside exercising, no one smiling, no one moving at all but the lawn needs mowed and the laundry baskets are spilling over.

It’s not all the time and not even a majority of the time, but it’s my “real” sometimes. Just never gets posted. (smiley face) (heart)