Only the highlight reel finds its way to your screen.
Perfectly smooth skin from layers of filters.
All white modern CLEAN houses with decor you’d kill for.
New clothes that wouldn’t work with your out of shape body even if you tried.
And another green drink that would “help you drop 10 lbs in a week” that costs $30 to make.
Life that seems so out of reach
But so easy for everyone else to achieve.
What you don’t see is the greasy cheap haircut. Cut uneven but the only cut that was affordable. Pulled up in a scrunchie and metal clips for the fourth day in a row.
What you don’t see are the mismatched socks and the laundry piling high on every surface it can lay on. Enough clean to keep everyone clothed but never enough time to get it finished and put away.
What you don’t see is the spit up soaked clothes, the slobber, the boogers, the mashed food thrown on the floor. And the one that wears and cleans it all up.
What you don’t see are the baggy eyes, coffee breath gritted teeth, BO from no shower and chipped nails.
What you don’t see are the piles of unpaid late bills that just keep calling or something will be shut off for the third month in a row. A late fee hole that seems to get deeper every day.
What you don’t see are the long hours of working on a laptop during naps just to make enough to get by. And the late nights of trying to finish so a client isn’t lost.
What you don’t see are the hours of keeping up with the house just enough so no one complains of clutter or dog hair.
What you don’t see are the dried tear stains from carrying the weight of everyone else’s worlds just so they can smile today.
What you don’t see is the tired mama that goes to sleep worrying knowing she will wake up at 4am doing the same.
Life's not picture perfect for everyone.
But maybe they choose to only share the good moments so the bad ones don’t drag them down.
Maybe they choose to focus on the joy because it makes what you don’t see worth the fight.
Don’t compare what you don’t share to all the things scrolling in front of you.
And don’t judge others for finding joy in their highlight reel because it might be all they have to get through today.
Some are just counting their blessings in the midst of their storms.
I guarantee that if you knew about everyone else’s “behind the scenes” you’d relate more to what you don’t see.
XOXO
Jenna