Navel Gazing About Being Real

It’s a funny thing that sometimes stuff I write that I feel is distinctly un-stellar ends up encouraging someone else. My sister in law told me that the post wrapping up January is one of the best I have written, yet I nearly scrapped it. Twice. It didn’t seem sparkly or even very interesting. But it was honest. I suppose that may have helped. (Also she has been sitting in her little house with two tots and a newborn, all of whom have been sick.)

This got me to thinking this morning about the ways we portray ourselves to others. I don’t think it is a conscious thing, but more of “let’s not peel under the layers too much.” Yet when we dare to be quite transparent with each other, it becomes safer and safer to be transparent. The relief of finding our human struggles to be, indeed, quite common to man, is nearly palpable. “You mean you actually have days like that too?”

(I love those Pinterest Versus Real Life photos. If you need to feel normal, go there. I admit to scrolling through until I have tears rolling.)

Sisters are like this, and friends are supposed to be like this. You don’t have to bleed on a blog to be real, but you cannot have healthy relationships with others if you refuse to let them into your life. This is a no-brainer for married couples, but it applies to friends as well. I know this doesn’t feel safe to many people, and I have had very little experience with betrayal of trust, yet I know this to be true. When I started blogging, I made a pact with myself and God that I would not try to pretty up things to make myself look better. I want to make Him look good by finding the path that appears from walking day after day after day in the same mundane things.

And yet. There is such a thing as Too Much Information. I read some of my archives last night and started to squirm. Man, I am just always messing up and writing about it. This is the world wide web, for crying out loud. I would like to be an effortless PollyAnna, but I bet that would get on your nerves sometimes. So I will do what I know… I will continue to be a realist and bring you honest humor. All bets are off when I am processing a nugly (nasty/ugly) day. Thanks, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, THANKS for being my friends!