Not too long ago, I was scrolling through my Instagram posts and thought, my life looks too perfect. Happy kids, keeping busy, smiling photos of my husband and me, tons of activities, but the reason for my reaction is that I know that perfection is far from what I live. I used to be conscious of what I posted. I tried to keep a good balance of the positives and the negatives, but somewhere along the way, I lost that. Instagram is a highlight reel, and I guess I need those highlights for myself too. Here’s why:
I don’t do it all. That’s the secret to the comment I often hear, “Wow. I don’t know how you do it all.” Plain and simple, I don’t.
I give the impression that I do because I am so busy at work, at home, and with my kids. There usually is not a moment that I do not have scheduled for myself.
As much as I would love to do it all and do it well, I have learned that there are sacrifices that have to be made.
Some of the things you do not see or hear on my Instagram posts are me losing my patience, throwing baseball gear at the kids so we can get out of the house in time, or hitting up a drive-through on the way home because I am either too tired to cook or do not have ingredients. You do not see me showing up a little late to work or the days the kids are wearing mismatched socks and bottom-of-the-drawer underwear. You are not on the phone with the school nurse because we forgot my son’s medicine (again). I can go on, but you get the point.
While it might seem like I am thriving, there are some days I am barely surviving; hanging on by a thread and waiting for the last shoe to drop.
I also pay for help, which I understand is a privilege, but some outsourcing is necessary for the modern parent.
It feels good to look back at pictures, see the smiles, and realize that even if we are not getting it all done every day, at least we are having fun. What really shines through in the photos is the love and joy that fill up my totally imperfect life.
It feels good to write this and to let my secret out. I don’t do it all! I suspect no one does.
