My life is not realistically portrayed in my Instagram feed. I say that I use instagram to capture moments of my day–but really, it doesn’t do that.
Much of the time my life is washed out by a flash. It’s blaring and obnoxious. The color all confused. It needs multiple filters to look pretty, or even civilized.
Sometimes it’s dark and noisy. Daily life is cluttered, chaotic, and the best often doesn’t shine through.
I tend to take pictures of the good, the funny, and always the memorable. I find that when I look through my old photos my perception of the events is colored by it’s Instagram filter.
Still, I’ve decided that Instagram makes me a better mom. It makes me align my perspective with beauty and hope. And we all know that a healthy childhood requires both of these things.
I see sweet moments, captured in trial. Holding my sick child. Snuggling after a fever. That prayed-for sleep after an earache. The flu breath and piles of laundry sort of fade into the background and the foreground is all love and meaning and life.
I find innovation in the pure creativity of my children. The giant tower of toilet paper stacked beyond my son’s grasp. The river rocks arranged in a giant loop upon my coffee table. The airplane constructed with chairs, Spiderman, and a cowboy hat.
I fall in love all over again with my husband by seeing him with a gaze of motherhood. The crazy conversations. The piggy back rides. The dances.
I catch my everyday as a wonderful narrative. Imaginative, bright, and full of meaning. I know that Instagram has been a tool for preserving these stories.
Last night, I watched Saving Mr. Banks for the first time. What a film! My absolute favorite line in the movie was when Walt Disney said, “This is what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope, again, and again, and again.”
Is Instagram a realistic portrayal of everyday life? No.
Does Instagram restore order to everyday life? Yes.
And by capturing the beauty of everyday moments, I believe that Instagram does actually instill hope again, and again, and again.
Has Instagram made you better in some way?
I think you are so right. I often find myself thinking of fun things to do with my son, just so I can photograph them. Well, maybe not *just* for that (we have a good time), but it helps. ????
Haha as long as it gets you motivated its worth it ????
Yes…it is so true. When I go back through all of my pictures it brings a rush of happiness. I know that prior to Smartphones and Facebook and Instagram, I would not have all of those memories so clearly as I do today. I just wish I could find the time to put together some scrapbooks with them…maybe some day…
I do love the Disney quote. I know not everyone feels this way, but I always feel like Disneyland holds some sort of magical positivity…for me, it really is the happiest place on earth. I haven’t been able to take my daughter yet, but very soon we will go and I hope it feels the same way to her.
I’m with you on the Disneyland thing. I absolutely love it.
Oh how beautiful and breathtaking those pictures are Hilary!!!! I want to do Instagram (Join? Start? Whatev) JUST so I can follow you and your glorious “hope and inspiration” of what gives us all the joy we sometimes loose in the midst of the ‘other stuff’ in our lives that drown it. Love this post, my friend. Love the message.
You should totally join instagram! I absolutely love using it for the preservation of memories ????
Wow!!!!! Loved this!!!!! Could be a book:)
[…] phone is my old standby for day to day photos of my kids. Just a week or so ago I wrote about how Instagram Makes Me A Better Mom. It’s true. It also takes care of the whole baby book […]
Oh my gosh, girl!! This is such a great post! What a great way to look at Instagram instead of comparing or in a negative way. Awesome, that’s all I can say. Love you!
Thanks! People really give it a bad rep sometimes, but I’m so grateful to have a space that preserves memories so well. Considering my kids don’t have baby books, instagram is a life saver!
Yes! It’s like my own little scrapbook of all the special little moments that otherwise I probably wouldn’t have thought required a camera. Like when my little girl wrote me a heartfelt card. I took a picture for Instagram but I wouldn’t have with my camera. My little girl also loves to “instagram” so she takes lots of pictures too. It’s like a day in a life that I wouldn’t otherwise notice.
So true! I get so much more with my phone than I do with my camera.
I love this post! I haven’t joined Instagram yet, but blogging, Facebook, and my own smartphone have all made it so much easier to find joy in the everyday. Last summer I found myself thinking, “Live a life worth blogging about!” That attitude has improved my life in so many ways…even if it’s been months since I’ve done a post. ????
That is a great quote in itself. I’m so thankful that I live in an age where I really don’t have to make a baby book. Social media does i tofu me ????