keeping up

Keeping up with the Joneses (or is the Kardashians these days?) Something that I have zero desire to do, yet I feel as if I'm always doing it. Comparing what others have to what we have. Comparing my body to others, comparing my car, my house, my children's behavior. I don't want to because I am extremely happy in this life, but it's so easy to do.

We all are continually looking at our phones, getting peeks through little squares into others lives. The mom who always has her hair and make up perfectly done. The mom who's house looks like it belongs in a magazine. The neighbor's who's house is three times the size of yours. The kids at the park who are interacting nicely and actually listen to their mom when she says it's time to leave. The couple who are always on date nights and sending sweet messages to each other on facebook. Honestly the list could go on and on.

And the obvious is that we only get a peek at what others WANT to share. We are all guilty of this: bribing our children to hold hands while gazing at the ocean as we type how much we love their relationship. When in reality the second after we get the perfect picture and edit it and post it, our kids are shoving each other in the sand.

We do it because we want to remember these sweet (or not so sweet) moments in our lives and want our friends and family to see it too. We know that our kids love each other, and we would rather show that than one shoving anothers face in the sand.

Sometimes I think we create the world want to remember in those little squares. For some it may be the perfect meal, or the perfect living room. For others it's a snap of date night because you don't want to forget how much fun you had. For me, it's how I want to remember my growing family.

Does this mean I'm going to stop comparing? Probably not. Im sure there's going to be a post about someone's living room and I'm going to wish mine looked like that too. Or someone's going to post their outfit of the day and I'm going to want the handbag they have.

Sure the Joneses have a bigger house and Mrs. Jones kids are way better behaved than mine, but that's ok. That's her world she's creating and I'm going to keep creating mine. I may share some of the messy bits but mostly you'll see the good because that's what I choose. Because when I look back at those squares 15 years from now that's what I want to remember.

*Here's a pic of my kids NOT shoving each other in the sand and I didn't even have to bribe them!!!

Xo, D