by Maggie Downs posted in Life

The other day I unloaded over the phone to one of my close friends. Fights I?d been having with my husband, frustration with my toddler?s independent/insolent streak, work and other personal challenges. I spilled all the tea, basically.
?Wow, that does not sound good,? my friend finally said. ?But at least your life looks great on Insta.?
I laughed, because it was true. But I can't stop thinking about how strange that is.

It made me think about how often I open the Instagram app and gaze at the images from moms I don?t know.
They?re lean and fit, wearing gauzy dresses as they bathe their pudgy, adorable babies in farmhouse sinks. They live in minimalist houses with toys made out of wood. They cook healthy, sensible but whimsical-looking lunches (plus the occasional ice cream cone for #FriYay). They take long walks along a foggy beach with their hot partners, their babies snoozing contentedly in natural-fiber carriers. Even their ?Whoops! We made a mess baking cookies!? posts are cozy and inviting. I have a messy, imperfect life, but these moms have ?lifestyles.?
I know that things aren?t perfect for these families. I mean, I know that on a rational level. The things on Instagram are carefully curated images, designed to show a small sliver of someone?s life. There?s no complete picture.
It?s easy to forget that when I scroll through the feed, though, longing for a clean house with gleaming hardwood floors or a baby who coos instead of scream...