A Slice of Life

Generally speaking, I blog at night. Which is why it's been so tough to blog lately. Because at night? I feel much like vomiting. Even when I'm not all that tired, I'm going to bed early because at least when I'm sleeping, I can't tell that I feel like barfing.

Tonight though, I'm feeling good. That's what a tall glass of chocolate milk, made with whole milk (I stole it from Ivy... don't tell her), and two Cinnamon Roll Toaster Strudels can do for a girl.

Ahem. Excuse me while I change positions. I think I actually felt my butt get a little bigger just then.

I don't know why this feels like such a wicked indulgence. Perhaps because it's 11:30 and I don't generally eat late at night, or after dinner much at all. This is justified though. Because milk is good for the baby, right? And if I feel like barfing, I can't blog.

And blogging is what makes the world go round.

Last night I watched the General Relief Society Broadcast. (The incredible, wonderful, women specific portion of my church's semi-annual General Conference where we hear amazing speakers and messages that make your heart happy and make you feel like being a better person and that reaffirm your faith and make you feel warm and gooey on the inside) I particularly enjoyed Deiter F. Uchtdorf's talk and his incredible message not to forget who we really are, and what we are really worth. I loved his line about Heavenly Father knowing that we aren't perfect, and also knowing that all those women that we think are perfect aren't actually perfect either.

And then I got to thinking about blogging. Sometimes, I worry that blogging might actually exacerbate this problem. See, it's really easy to make our online lives look sugar and spice and all things nice. I think sometimes this might be contrived. People only share the good stuff in an effort to make their lives seem perfect. But could it also be possible that some bloggers choose not to share some things because they'd simply prefer not to?

I like to say that my blog is all me, but it isn't ALL of me. I will not put anything on the blog that isn't real and true and a reflection of who I really am.

But also, I'm not going to tell you if I get in a big fight with my husband. I'm not going to tell you about a personal struggle I may be having with my fifth grader, or a trial I might be going through with a close friend. But that doesn't mean those things don't happen. It simply means that I have respect for the individuals in my life who would prefer not to have their stories shared online.

There is danger in assuming that all you see on a blog, or on the surface of someone's appearance is all there is behind the scenes too. Some things might be too personal, too private for general online consumption. And that's okay. To read someone's blog and think they've got the corner on mothering perfection, that they've got the best house, the best kids, the best life - it's not only ridiculous, it really isn't fair. Judgement hurts in all forms, whether you are judging someone for being too good, or not good enough. There is always more to the story. And unless you've lived it, breathed it, experienced it, you just can't really know.

This blogging that we do, it's just a slice of our lives, really. It is good and real and sweet, but simply put, it just isn't the whole pie.