A family who hasn’t spoken to their son in months is sharing pictures of him on social media. Siblings who despise one another take pictures together and post online. Cousins who only spend time together once a year are taking selfies together as if they were the best of friends.
Why do we chase this level of social media hype?
Every family is messy. Every relationship is tumultuous. In fact, 90% of your followers know how you TRULY feel about that person, so why bother with the sham?
Hence the phrase, “Social Media Perfect.” There is no such thing as a perfect family. There is no shame in the messiness of family relationships. Why do we bother? Why are we projecting a false image of our family?
This Christmas season, instead of trying to trick everyone into believing your family is as perfect and as in tact as you’d like it to be, perhaps focus on MENDING those broken relationships. Instead of posting pictures of your estranged son, talk to him. Instead of hating your sibling, remember that you DO have something in common: your parents. Instead of pretending you like that cousin you see once a year, start ACTUALLY liking that cousin you see once a year! Maybe instead of striving for “picture perfect” or “Social Media Perfect” we could actually strive for “moderately decent in real life.”