A few years ago I left social media, and truthfully, I didn’t miss it one iota. The single greatest reason for my departure was because I LOATHE artifice. I can’t stand fake lives being paraded like some magical dreamworld. It’s damaging, isolating, and makes me crazy.
However, my editor told me I have to be on social media for my writing to actually get read, and I trust her. She’s a smart lady. So, here I am. Writing about transparency.
I have four kids, all boys. They are filthy, mess making-monsters 85% of the time. This is what my play room looked like the very first time I set it up:
This is what it tends to look like during a typical day:
This is what I looked like as Wonder Woman for Halloween, with full makeup, hair extensions, a year with a personal trainer, zero carbs the week before and wayyyyy too much caffeine the day of:
This is what I looked like the day after Halloween(which was also a full moon and daylight savings and I had four sugared up kids):
I’m not a mommy that has perfect hair or skin or makeup or fashion, nor am I skilled at glossing over any of those things! And I don’t ever want to give that impression. Occasionally, I have a good hair day, my skin is clear, or I happen to wear cute matching clothes and not steel-toed boots and torn jeans (my work uniform), but those days are rare.
Reality, my friends, is messy. It’s braless at times. It gives two you know whats what your hair looks like. And living in it, being present in the mess of real life, is a gift.
The gift is not the empty feeling we get looking at a perfect reel of highlights from people we hardly know.
The gift is in the truth that those rare, perfect moments, are made so much more precious by all of the messy, honest moments.
Today, and everyday, I promise to present the truth on JOY Life. To present reality versus some curated, gorgeous pics of my fake perfect life. And I hope you can join me as we shake off any feelings of not being good enough, pretty enough, capable enough, rich enough, creative enough, happily married enough, or pinterest-mommy enough, and embrace living in the moment.
May you find the joy of Jesus in reality, my friends!