Enough is never enough

Prologue: My smile was brought to you by Invisalign. I invest in skin care. For the most part, I eat clean (aside from chocolate) and most days I run on a treadmill. If you’ve invested in self-care too, this is 100% NOT about that. Please don’t misunderstand me. This is however about the struggle or dare I say, the war that every woman faces unless you’ve been living underneath a rock.

As a mom of three girls, one of whom is a very impressionable teenager, I worry about the effect social media has on my children. It seems unavoidable these days. It’s a world of technology and my kids know how to navigate it much better than me. But the comparison between my teen years and theirs is enormously different.

For example, my only inspiration or connection to anything outside of my little hometown was either through a magazine or from watching “Saved by the Bell.” Seriously, Kelly Kapowski was my fashion icon and Tiger Beat magazine kept me well informed on what my celebrity crush’s favorite food was. So what more did I need to know?

These days however, I am connected to just about anything through my phone. Social media is an encyclopedia, diary, news outlet, gossip column, online garage sale…you name it and it’s probably on social media. I cannot scroll very far through my feed before I am bombarded with ads and videos, all singing the praises of a product intended to make the consumer better. Have you seen these? It’s like the Facebook fairy sees that I’m on and attacks me with the “latest and greatest” of the most ridiculous things.

Today I watched an ad and was quiet confused by it. It starts off with a beautiful, young lady looking straight at the camera. She runs her fingers through her seemingly perfect, long, thick tresses then shakes her head in disappointment. In the next scene, she’s taking hair extensions out of a bag to clip into her hair. Honestly, her hair was just fine before. After she clips them in, she looks like Cousin It from the Addams Family. But apparently, naturally, long, thick hair is not enough to qualify as beautiful. If you wear hair extensions, I’m not poking fun of the product. I realize why some wear them. I simply cannot wrap my brain around the need to if you already have great hair.

There’s another ad that befuddles the tar out of me (that’s Texan for “frustrates.”) This ad has a thin woman in work- out gear clearly disgusted with the way she looks so she takes a “magical” supplement to make her thinner or leaner (I’m guessing.) The list goes on. I’ve seen it for all types of self-improvement. Society is pushing the bar of how far is too far and is enough really ever enough.

I’m rapidly approaching my middle-aged years. I do not need social media helping me into an early grave by initiating fear, worry or doubt that I’m not good enough by simply being me. I’ve been there a few times already and what pulls me back into reality are the precious girls God has gifted me with. I want to steward the time I have with them wisely. If they see me fall victim to the lie that I constantly “need” some sort of product to be better, what message am I conveying to them?

The truth is, there are not enough magical pills in the world to correct my imperfections. I am hopelessly flawed from head to toe. BUT I am a firm believer that internal beauty and peace exudes externally too. If my kids see anything in me, I hope they see Jesus. I hope they see love, light, bravery, vibrancy and some fierceness too! I pray my influence far outweighs anything they see or hear outside the shelter of my home.

Whatever your title, whether mom or daughter, someone is watching you too. You can get sucked into the unrealistic expectations the age of social media is emananting; or you can go look in a mirror at God’s masterpiece. One of my dear friends always says “you do you boo!” Thats excellent advice! There will never be another you. If you’ve got flaws…rock them! If you’re less than perfect, congratulations! You are human! No one can walk in your shoes but you. Walk proudly and confidently. You will make your mark on the heart of someone…let it be a mark of grace for the flaws, love for God’s handiwork and peace for what cannot and should not be changed!

Hey girls! Remember you are uniquely made on purpose, for a purpose and for such a time as this. Until next week…