The Non-Social Media Edited Version of Life

Lately I have felt challenged and I keep looking for the lesson in this time of my life and wasn’t really able to pinpoint the lesson until now.......I think.

In the last month I’ve been through deaths, grieved, felt unappreciated, been faced with unplanned expenses, spent countless hours in traffic, allowed myself to be let down and have struggled with deciding where my life plan should be directed next.  Last week I told  Aaron about how I really just felt like I was being challenged and I couldn’t figure out why.  

The day after we had this conversation I was in Target after a frustrating visit with my mechanic feeling pretty defeated.  I was stuck in a long line but that really didn’t bother me, I wasn’t in a hurry.  A younger worker came over and offered to help me and the few people in front of me at another register.  This worker had a visible physical disability, not that it means anything, just an observation.

The worker checked out two people in front of me, one man and one woman.  Then it was my turn.  When my transaction was over the young man looked me straight in the eyes and said, “God bless you.”  Had it been Christmas time, or had he said it to everyone, I wouldn’t have thought twice.  But it is not Christmas time and he only said it to me.  And then when I got in my car this song came on:

I think my lesson for now is that I’m supposed to know that no matter how large my challenges seem at the time, I am not alone.  I grieved, but not alone by any means.  I may feel unappreciated by a few, but those who appreciate me outnumber them by far.  Aaron took care of the tires for my (still relatively new) car and I have a job and a home at the end of those long hours in traffic.  I can choose not to be let down and I am lucky to have woken up this morning with another day to contemplate “what next”.  I also realize there are so many others with life challenges greater than mine, but I know too, that they are not alone.

I didn’t write this post for sympathy, certainly not.  I just feel as if in the social media world everyone only wants to present their very best.  Their accomplishments, their best “selfie”, how awesome their kids/pets/family is.  There’s nothing wrong with that, heck 95% of the time I fall into that.  But it’s not real life.  This is real and I feel like I owe it to people who support me and this blog to be real, so thanks for keeping it real with me folks!  

{Via}