But social media sites are full of people pretending to be something 'better'. We all fall into the trap.
Take this photo, for example. Posted by me this week, it has had lots of 'likes' and comments. It must look like we are having a whale of a time preparing for judo.
But the reality behind the fake smiles ("come on boys, smile and show Dad your new yellow belts") was that half an hour before this was taken we were all crying. A smashed glass full of water all over the kitchen floor, a cut and bleeding finger, fighting boys, a Dad away for the week and a quick 'turnaround teatime' before judo led to my exploding at the boys like a mentos mint in a coke bottle. It was, quite seriously, one of the worst evenings we have had for a very long time.
I was shocked by the amount of 'likes'. How could that happen when our eyes were sore and puffy from crying? Wasn't it obvious?
And I realised that not only was it not obvious, but it was also possible to live out a totally different life and nobody would ever know. This gave me the heebyjeebies.
It also made me even more resolved to pursue genuine friendships with those close to me. I value vulnerability and honesty in my friends. I don't want to try and keep up with the Joneses or pretend to be something I'm not and I don't want my friends to feel they can't be real either. I may not splash all my woes across Facebook (that gets a bit boring) but I so appreciate being able to send a quick text to my close friends when life gets tough. I know they will stand with me, sometimes holding me up. I need them and they need me. And I love that we support and encourage each other.
So, next time I am tempted to post an all singing, all dancing version of my amazing family (and they ARE amazing and we DO sing and dance around the kitchen quite often) I am going to remember this photograph and how uneasy it made me feel. And I will remember that being honest is more important than being fake.
Who wants a fake family anyway? Not me.
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