dare to (NOT) compare

When Renee and I decided to join forces and start Unfancy Friends, we were committed.

Committed not only to our blog, but to creating a space for REAL and a space for MESS.

Ultimately, we wanted a space for tired, exhausted, sweatpants-and-a-messy-bun mamas.

We wanted a space for US.

Let's be honest, much of what we see online is fake, curated perfection. We see the sculpted and toned bodies, the extravagant homes, the luxurious vacations.

We see adorable children dressed in their mini designer outfits.

We see proud, money makin' husbands and their beautiful, fresh-from-head-to-toe wives.

We see rich lifestyles and even richer tans.

But y'all, we don't see everything.

We don't see the financial struggles, the debt, the bills.
We don't see the fights, the stress, the self-doubt.
We don't see the crying over spilled milk, the restless sleep and the thankless work.
We don't see the bad, the ugly, the scary.
We don't see it all. 

Remind yourselves, mamas: every one of us struggles. Every one of us has insecurities, anxieties, and worries.

Even the girl beachside in Bora Bora.
Even the girl sipping sweet tea on her farmhouse wraparound porch.
Even the teenager in Gucci and oversized sunglasses.
Even me.
Even you.

What you look at while you scroll is not the whole picture. Instead, it's a fleeting, edited, carefully calculated picture.

It's what they choose to share.
Not what they choose to battle in private.

Be kind, smile and know that nobody is perfect.

Not me.
Not you.
Not even her.