Honestly, I don’t remember if I laughed out loud, shook my head or rolled my eyes. Knowing me…I probably did all three.
I was watching a YouTube video of a couple who are “influencers”. You know what I’m talking about. A couple who makes a living by sharing their day to day lives on social media. I often wonder why in the world I waste any moments of my day watching stuff like this…and after what I heard on this particular video…I really thought I had lost my marbles perusing the internet.
The wife of this couple had a birthday coming up and so her husband said he wanted to do a “little” something special for her. He said he had decided to plan a quick trip somewhere as a surprise…just the two of them…no kids allowed. She had no idea where they were going until they got to the airport and he broke the news to her that their quick, “little” trip was to Europe. Yes, their thought that Europe would be considered something small made me shake my head…but her response is what really made me do all three things I mentioned earlier. She said something to the effect of, “Oh, I’ve wanted to go there for my entire life!” Why did that make me respond in the way I did? She was only turning 25 on her birthday.
I’m sorry…but having to wait until the ripe old age of 25 to be able to go to Europe…just doesn’t seem that long to me. Maybe she had a fascination with Europe as a very young child and so it seemed like an eternity. I will try and give her the benefit of the doubt.
Watching this video made me so thankful that we did not have to deal with social media when we were raising our family. Why? Because I can’t imagine the pressure that is felt by young families to keep up with the “Jones’s” in our present society. For most young families in their 20’s, going to Europe for a little getaway wouldn’t be at all possible. Feeding their family and paying their bills is taking every penny they have and even an evening out for dinner without the kids can be impossible.
I can’t imagine the pressure and strain that social media puts on young families. I’ve heard young wives share how they sure wish they could afford to go on trips. They wish they could go on fun, extravagant excursions for Spring break, Fall break and Christmas break. They see perfect, well-staged family pictures plastered on social media of those who are making those kinds of expeditions…and it can easily make them feel “less” or a failure as a parent.
Please hear me on this…I’m not saying that couples and families shouldn’t go on vacations if it is in their budget…but my heart goes out to those who feel the pressure to try and keep up with those who do. I want them to know that their children will be just fine if their break from school is spent in the same city they live in. Their psyche won’t be traumatized…they will be just fine. Having a secure, stable family life is much more important in their development than being able to travel the world.
When we were raising our family, we owned a business that kept us from travelling during breaks from school and I remember at times feeling guilty. The kids would talk about their friends going here and there and I would wonder what all my kids were missing out on. To add to the equation…not only could our kids not be gone during those breaks…they had to work for our business on some of their days off! But do you know what? They came through those years just fine. All three of our kids grew up to be responsible, wonderful human beings and I never hear them say how much better their life would be if they just would have been able to travel more as a child.
If I can share some advice. Love your spouse. Love your children. Create a safe haven in your home for everyone to thrive and grow in. Don’t dwell on what you can’t do or have…instead, dwell on the blessings you have been given. If you feel the pressure building on your shoulders…you may want to stay off social media. Will you make mistakes as parents? Yep, you will. We made lots of mistakes and I wish I could go back and undo some of the things we did. But as I said, God was so faithful in shielding our children from experiencing long lasting ill effects from our errors and what a joy it is to now watch them with their families.
So, if your life today doesn’t look like the influencers on social media…please don’t dwell on that. You may be surprised to know their lives probably aren’t as perfect as they seem. Remember, most of them don’t share all the bad days with their audience…they just publish the highlights. If envy and jealousy is affecting your days after watching their reels…please turn them off. Again, focus on the blessings God has given you and trust Him to give you what you need. And then remember that your kids will be just fine if they have a staycation for their next break
“Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night.”
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