My friend Sue had the best post about blogging. She showed many wonderful and perfect pictures of her family and then wrote:
WARNING: Sometimes the things you see on blogs are not as fun and perfect as they seem to be. Before you get down on your life for not being like someone's blog that you admire, realize no one blogs about everything, and pictures don't always tell the full story.
She then followed up that quote with the photos real story- the outtakes and truth behind the smiles.
This post rang true here in our home! When I first started blogging Rich referred to my blog as our family's highlight film. He has many of them from his college basketball days and while it is great to see every shot you make go in and every pass turn into an assist, it doesn't show the entire season- the highs and lows. He said if you take away the missed free throws, the bad passes, the air balls and stumbles you can make anyone look like an NBA All Star!
It is true that with a few strategic pictures and happy comments on a blog anyone's life can look perfect. I hope I don't come off like that in my blog. I do tend to write about the good times more than the bad, but life isn't all smiles and things don't always work out. What I hope to record especially since this is the ONLY record I am keeping, is an honest reflection of us.
When I was cleaning out the storage room, I read through a few of my old journals. I have never been one to pour my heart out on the page. I always seem to be a bit guarded when it came to putting those thoughts down on paper. This blog is the first time in my life that I have felt like I've been able to express what I am feeling, hoping and doing about it. I tend to write about spiritual things when I know I am lacking in areas and need that extra boost to get going. I love to write about my kids, because they are the focus of my life right now and they bring me so much happiness. And I love to write about my family, because for once in my life, I can let them know on a much more frequent basis how they have molded me, loved me and shaped me into the person I am today.
So for every post I write, know that there were runny noses needing to be wiped, homework waiting to be done, dinner not finished on the counter and cookies burning in the oven, but I hope what I put up shows the good and the bad. The real me. The real us- because isn't that what life is. It's not about perfection, it's about enjoying the ride!
6 comments:
Thank you so much Cheryl! I had tingles and tears while I was reading this post. I could tell from the first time I came across your blog that you are such a true and real person. I know that, that is why I instantly felt connected with you. You are always so sincere and honest. I have been amazed about the time you have taken to share so many great things on your blog along with personal emails to just say "Hi", or to give words of encouragement or praise. I know you have such a busy life that takes up a lot of your time and energy and I'm so impressed that you find the time to make others peoples days a little bit better. Thank You!
Cheryl, you are so darling. I love that you wrote that. I do think however that even when the "bad" or "hard" thing happen to you--you don't see them that way. You are a great example to me of being positive. I LOVE to read your blog.
Cheryl,
I was thinking as I read this the reason that I always like to read your blog (besides the fact that you are "uber" cool).. is that it is a "happy" place I can read it and smile and feel uplifted. I have never gotten the feeling like it wasn't "real".
I worry about that with my blog also.. I try to show the good and the bad and worry that people think I am something I'm not - but I just do my best.
I always wondered if someone looked back at my scrapbooks after 10-20 years would they think our life was all "peachy"? I only scrapbook the happy stuff, so who know's what they would think!
Keep blogging!
Melissa
I could almost copy and paste this into my own blog... thanks for posting it.
Well said. I think that's one of the hardest thing for women, especially in our church, is thinking that someone else has the perfect life.
Maybe once every two weeks or so we should all blog about the hard things in our lives or the bad things that happened to us that week. Not to sound complaining, but maybe just to vent and to let everyone know that we're all very similar and normal.
This is awesome--and should be circulated and posted every-so often. I don't know why we feel the need to compare and see how we each measure up in relation to others. Two of my favorite life lessons in the recent past are these: Life is not like a reality show where this is and can only be one winner. Heavenly Father makes room for EVERYBODY who will try to do what He asks--and the He makes up the rest. It's a worldly notion that in order for us to be "good" that means someone else is "bad" and one of the great challenges of life is to embrace who we are and build upon that, instead of wishing for something else.
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