The Looking Glass
in Giggles on February 13, 2020
Many of us are familiar with Alice’s adventures in Wonderland…both the Disney version and the newer, spookier, Johnny Depp version. Alice wandered down a rabbit hole, through a mirror and into some wildly fascinating places that could only have existed in her mind.
The Looking Glass, or mirror, presented a reality of Alice’s circumstances that looked similar to how she saw them, but technically in actual reality, they did not exist.
Why am I talking about Wonderland?
We all live there.
Eh…true…most of us probably do not have a white rabbit dashing through our days in waistcoat, dangling a pocket watch squeaking out, “I’m late! I’m late! I’m late, for a very important date!” But, we do have an alarm set on our iPhones that chime at various points in the day, doing virtually the same thing.
But that’s not my point.
My point is the Looking Glass.
Distorted Reality.
We all hold little Looking Glasses in the palm of our hands every day. We fall prey to the deception held within those magic mirrors, and we begin to, not only believe their lies, but also, to doubt our own realities.
What is this dark magic?
Facebook. Instagram. Snapchat. Twitter.
And any other form of filtered life that shades, covers, or masks your reality. Don’t worry. I’m not casting shame or blame. We have ALL done it. Who wouldn’t want to put their very BEST version of themself out there for the world to see?
I get it.
But, that’s not the whole picture. The whole picture is the mess leading up to that one good snapshot. The whole picture is the mom who hasn’t showered in two days—or is it three? The whole picture is a crying four-year-old, a destructive two-year-old, and an inconsolable newborn. The whole picture is a dad who hasn’t seen his family in four days because he’s working toward a big promotion.
The whole picture is stress and tension so palpable, it could be cut with a knife.
But, no one posts that on their story.
Instead, we post sugar-coated, filtered images that fuel self-loathing and judgement.
Can we try something different for this new year? Let’s be honest with each other. Let’s support each other. Parenting is hard. Marriage is hard. Life is hard. Why do we need to make things harder by turning everything into a competition?
Look past the filter on everyone’s social media. Go deeper. Things are not always what they seem. Everyone needs a friend.
Filter.
No filter.
Through the looking glass.
Or, standing right beside you.
Have a great day.