Please don’t compare your every day to my highlight reel.
This statement may confuse people at first, but I hope I can adequately explain what has been going through my mind regarding this topic.
Because of the situation Jesus has blessed me with; it can be very easy to make my life look like a perfect picture or the next feel good movie. I have pictures that make it seem like I’m living the fantasy of an adrenaline junky. Diving with great-white sharks in South Africa, white-water rafting rivers in Nepal, and jumping off of cliffs in Thailand. I have videos that make me seem like the ultimate humanitarian; throwing babies in the air in Africa, running through dusty streets with dirty kids in India, and befriending prostitutes in Thailand.
It’s easy to throw these pictures on facebook, upload some videos and post a status about how every day is the best day ever.
Bam. My life looks perfect and like I’ve got my crap together.
But please don’t compare your everyday to my highlight reel. I’m not someone who shares when I’m having a rough day on facebook and I probably won’t ever post a status about how irritated I am about something. I post when I feel good and when I’m excited about something. However this does not give you an accurate portrayal of my life.
I have been so, so, so blessed to have experienced what I have, where I have this past year. Sometimes my life does feel like an amazing Hollywood movie. But most of the time… it doesn’t. I wanted to be real here, so you all will be real with yourselves over there. My intention is never to make anyone at home feel like what they’re doing isn’t good enough. I don’t ever want someone to look at my life on facebook and say “If I could just have a life more like that…” Because well, what you’re looking at is my facebook. My highlight reel. Not my life.
What you all are doing at home is just as worthy, just as honorable as what I am doing over here. We are just “doing life” in different places. My friends who stay at home with their children every single day deserve a medal. My parents who work 50 plus hours a week deserve a break. My friends who are fighting their way through grad school deserve some free food. My point is that you are all amazing for doing exactly what you are doing, where you are doing it. And I’m so proud of you. Personally I believe you deserve more recognition than I do; because I do get the perks of shark diving and African babies. You work hard every single day not knowing if you’ll receive any sort of “treat” for yourself.
That is honorable. It is worth being recognized.
If I accurately portrayed my life on facebook this is a lot closer to what it would look like:
Monday: I don’t want to open my eyes because I know I have to do yard work and it’s so hot I think I might just lay down in the grass and cry because these dang banana leaves won’t come off the trees and I’m going to freak out.
Monday afternoon: I’m so glad those banana leaves are done. I think I’ll lay here in a pool of my own sweat because it’s too hot to move. If one more person asks me if I’m okay I might just punch them, back off people!
Tuesday: WOOO WE ARE GOING SWIMMING TODAY AT THE BEACH! J
Tuesday afternoon: I am so sunburned from the beach!
Wednesday: More freaking banana leaves.
Wednesday afternoon: Its so hot. I just want to go home and dive into all that snow they’re getting.
Thursday: I’m in such a good mood today, I never want to go home!
Thursday afternoon: Gosh I’m so sick of sharing a room with people I just want to go home!
Friday: Jesus I love you and love my life!
Friday afternoon: Jesus I need you to give me strength because I can’t see why the heck you brought me here around all these crazy freaking people.
Saturday morning: 3 more months. I’ll never make it through three more months!
Saturday afternoon: 3 more months! It’s going to go so fast, I don’t want it to end!
Guys, life is life no matter where you live it. I still struggle with my temper and with mean thoughts about people who are bugging me. I still feel so happy one day and so frustrated the next. I love my life and sometimes don’t know how I will make it through the day all at the same time. I am in no way trying to say my life hasn’t been an absolute blessing the last year. I feel honored and blessed to be where I am.
But I’m still just me. Some days I laugh, some days I cry, and some days I do a lot of both. You all are so wonderful at supporting me and telling me what an amazing job I’m doing. Well, now I want to commend you. You are all doing a fabulous job at life, because you’re living it. Some days feel like a win and some feel like a loss no matter where you are in the world. The point is to get up the next day and keep on living.
Our highlight reels may look different, but our “every-days” are probably very much the same.
and You deserve just as much love and recognition as anyone.
