Look, I get it– we all have that friend that we are sick of seeing in our Facebook feed. Sometimes she will pop up three or four times a day with her obviously edited bathroom selfies–no wrinkles on her forehead, and teeth that would glow under a blacklight like Ross in that one episode of friends.
But here’s the thing, I used to be that selfie mom. Snapping through my life with a vengeance holding that camera high and taking shots, finding the best light everywhere I went, and you know why?
Because I was miserable. My marriage was ending. My (now ex) husband and I would go days without saying anything to each other beyond parenting, and I had pretty much decided I was the most unlovable person of all time.
Except when I posted a selfie. When I posted a selfie everyone on my feed would tell me exactly what I wanted to hear.
“You look so pretty”
“Nice hair!”
“Lovely”
And that little bit of encouragement was what helped me through the day. And sometimes I needed a little more encouragement, so I’d post another, and another. And that’s how I got through. How I moved on to a happier, easier time in life.
Now, I am not saying that everyone who posts a selfie is miserable, and I have still been known to throw up a selfie or two, but the next time you get tired of seeing someones smiling face in your feed– instead of being tacky, or rude, go ahead and build her up. Tell her she looks fantastic and that you miss seeing her pretty face.
Because nobody ever hated hearing they were pretty. Promise.
