I'm Failing: We’re Failing

I'm failing. We’re failing.

We’re failing at letting others see the real us. The imperfect parts. The struggles. The insecurities. The hard parts of parenthood.

You can't tell by this picture, but I was feeling the complete opposite of what is showed. I was five days postpartum, decked out in full make-up and hair done, because it made me feel better about myself and how I looked. I look so happy and excited. Truth is, I had just gotten incredibly snippy with my husband and had been crying. We we're heading home and while I was excited to be doing so, I was also exhausted, overwhelmed and the reality of two under two was setting in.

We’re failing each other. We’re failing our children and teens. We spend an incredibly ridiculous amount of time scrolling through our news feeds comparing ourselves and setting unrealistic expectations. It's enough to lead to an eventual Midlife crisis if we're not careful. If I let myself, my mind will wander and I will easily start to compare myself to how other moms and their kiddos look. Perfect hair. Perfect makeup. Perfect body. Perfect kiddos posing and looking their best. I don’t want my girls going through life comparing their self-worth to a “friend” on a screen. Shout out to the Mommas who are keepin’ it real, you are my people!

Ladies, I’m a hot mess, who is lucky if she has her ish together half the time. I can admit that now, but it’s easily caught up in the trap. I find myself some days spending far more time than necessary on Instagram and Facebook. I overly share and post, but there is a theory behind it. One of these days I will start working on photo album books using what I’ve documented. Otherwise, I’m working on disconnecting and setting boundaries for myself. I'm working on being present in the moment and embracing it, rather than trying to capture every little thing going on around me.

Taking pictures with a toddler is
almost impossible these days.

We live in a world that makes it so easy for us to hide behind a facade. It’s easy for us to alter our identities. We take 30 pictures just to get that one perfect picture. Why would anyone want to see the real parts, you ask? It’s what makes us human. It’s what connects us and makes us feel like we’re not the only ones going through these murky waters alone.

I had a reality check when I looked through these photos on
my oldest daughters second birthday. I was so focused
on always getting the perfect picture, even when it wasn't about me.

I’m guilty of hiding behind a mask sometimes, but I try to be as real as I can. I lived behind a facade for quite sometime and then after my second child something in me clicked and I realized, there’s no reason to hide. I am who I am. I’m a quirky, Jesus loving, live on the sunny side of life gal. PPA {Postpartum Anxiety} has taken a lot of that away from me, but I’m slowly getting myself back. I have realized I’m not everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay too!

It’s time to stop hiding behind our masks. Show your true colors. Give yourself grace. Be honest with yourself. Know that you we’re beautifully made in HIS image. You are perfectly imperfect! Don’t you forget it.

Can you relate to this?