A lot of the magical moments we get to hear about come from our customers! We love to hear about their lives and how they connect to their community through teatime and beyond. Our customer, Nicole, submitted her story and showed us how things aren't always as they seem, especially in the world of social media. Embracing your real self and having the support of those around you is always what matters the most.
Authenticity is MAGIC.
Read Nicole's story below:
"As I scroll through Instagram and look at the many people on my feed, I can’t help and try not to compare myself to those perfect little squares. I know it is something silly to even think about, especially in today’s world, but I am sure all of us have felt this way at least once. When I see a ‘picture perfect’ post, I can’t help but think to myself what is really going through this person’s head? How is their house so clean and how did they afford that dress? What is going on next to then that the camera just missed to capture?
If you see a picture of me with my son, chances are there is a pile of laundry that has not been touched off in the corner; enough for you not to see. There are dusty baseboards and my floors are beginning to wear because I keep forgetting to buy specific floor cleaner that is safe for hardwood floors. You may see me smiling, but I can guarantee you that this is not the emotion going through my head. I am most likely yelling at myself to go scrub the toilet upstairs instead of taking this picture. I’ve been meaning to clean out the junk drawer in the kitchen; it has gotten so bad that I can barely open it anymore but I continue to stuff more receipts in there. I should be preparing dinner but the thought of cooking something turns me off and pray there is a frozen pizza in the freezer. I must also not forget to change the dressing on the burn that I got last week while trying to take out another frozen pizza out of the oven.
Nothing is picture perfect so why do we continue to be so hard on ourselves? Why do we feel like we are in a competition? My mind is constantly on autopilot on what ‘should’ be done that I am losing control of reality. We live in a world where we advocate more than ever to help support our fellow mothers, daughters and sisters, yet we struggle to accept ourselves and how we raise our children. Why can’t we be happy with what we have and be thankful? The craziest thing is if I simply look up and away from my phone, I will see an innocent child who loves me no matter what and a husband who thinks I am beautiful all the time. That is something a photo cannot capture, but the heart sure can."
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We hope in times you feel like what you're doing may not be good enough, or you find yourself comparing your own journey to someone else's, that you'll think of Nicole and her message!
Want more?
Read Linda's story here.
Read Freya's story here.
