Just Planting Daisies

“People like me”… ??? It was a comment on a facebook post! It got me thinking; Who are people like me? What did they mean by that? What is it about me that would make someone say that? Are they judging me and others by our Facebook pages?

I have to admit, It angered me a bit, as it was a comment that was essentially saying that “People Like Me” wouldn’t understand the struggle, because somehow our lives are “better” because our Facebook page says it is!

Have you ever heard don’t judge a book by its cover? Perhaps this can be said as well about a person’s Facebook page. Don’t judge a person by their Facebook profile.

Facebook has been coined “Fakebook” Meaning we only want others to see the “Best” part of our lives, and want others to think that our lives are somehow “Better” than they really are, almost as though we are boasting. 

But, what if the opposite is true? What if we are not trying to be boastful at all? What if we just choose not to broadcast our entire lives on facebook? What if we choose to keep our personal or family struggles more private? What if we choose to struggle in private because we are not looking for others sympathy or approval? 

Just because we are not posting every detail of our struggles for all to see, doesn’t mean we are not struggling. Regardless of what our Facebook Profiles suggest, we ALL have struggles and sometimes we may have no idea what someone else’s daily life may entail. We can search their facebook profile for clues, but it may never reveal the “silent” struggles others are going through. 

Some choose to post about their struggles and that is also not a bad thing. It can be a source of encouragement for others struggling with the same thing, letting them know that they are not alone. So, if you are one that posts about your struggles, by all means keep doing what you are doing. Others see your story and glean from it. 

Remember Facebook don’t always show the struggle, so when looking at someone’s Facebook profile, don’t look at it with the eyes of judgment, rather with a Soft Gaze.

Whether they choose to show us their struggles, their children’s accomplishments, their milestones, or their beautiful family pictures, remember, it’s not their whole story. It’s only the part that they choose to show.

~Mandy Anderson