When Facebook makes me feel lonely…

I don’t want to discount the feelings and struggles of our precious working mothers, but I don’t feel adequate to speak on their behalf. So, if I may, I want to speak on behalf of us “stay at home” moms who sometimes feel lonely.

If you’re a stay at home mom, you know what I mean when I say our routines are ever changing. There have been times over the years when I have laughed at the title, “Stay at home mom” because I was NEVER AT HOME! But, there have been other seasons of life when home is exactly where I was…and it seemed like I was never anywhere else; like this past winter when we went weeks without seeing friends.

It’s during those seasons of life that I start feeling lonely and it seems like my only connection to the outside world is through Facebook. But, the problem is, Facebook tends to make me feel more alone. Here’s what happens, I’m feeling lonely so I log on Facebook to make a connection and without fail, the first posts I see look something like this, “Had great conversation over great coffee with great friends! What a morning!” or “Just had lunch with some of my favorite people! Feeling blessed!” or “Had a play date this afternoon with some awesome kids! Good times!”

I love that my friends are in a season of life where they can be social…but can I be honest? Reading about their social lives, makes me feel lonely.

So, here’s what I’ve decided to do when I’m in that stay-at-home season of life and feeling disconnected…I’m going to remind myself of these simple truths:

1. I typically read my Bible and pray while eating my breakfast.  So, instead of being jealous that one of my friends had “great conversation over great coffee with great friends”, I will remind myself that I had a plate of hot scrambled eggs with the One who knows me better than even I know myself. What a morning!
2. I homeschool my kids, so I have the privilege of eating lunch with them every single day. So, instead of being jealous that friends had “lunch with some of their favorite people “, I will remind myself that I get to have lunch with two of my favorite people every single day! Feeling blessed!
3. Almost every afternoon when the lunch dishes have been put away and the school work has been completed, I get asked to jump on the trampoline, play three-square or get beat at some random board game. So, when I see that my friends had “a play date with some awesome kids”, I’m going to remind myself that I have a play date every afternoon with some kids that, I think, are the most awesome kids in the whole world! Good times!

So, to all my friends who post about your fun social lives…keep posting. I promise I’ll keep trying to not be jealous and remind myself of the wonderful built in friends I have right here in my house! And to all my friends who are in a lonely season…if you look around you, chances are, you’re not really alone.