Pause Your Posting and Embrace the Little Moments Instead
The rise of social & digital media over the past decades has conditioned us to broadcast our lives for the world to see. Our carefully curated feeds tend to showcase the “perfect” side of our lives, or at least when all of our friends and children are smiling. When one of my daughters has accomplished something for the first time, I immediately take out my phone and snap away. I then attempt to think of something cheeky to accompany my Instagram and Facebook story hoping I’ll get a like or response to reaffirm my embedded belief that my children are the cutest creatures on the planet. Personally, I and possibly many others post our images, videos, memes, and reels in hopes of getting some sort of response. In my case, I’m most likely seeking reassurance that I’m doing this whole mom thing right.
Thinking back to the early to mid-2000s, before Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, and every other social media channel, there was no mainstream space for us to post and publicly share our latest happenings immediately. Sure, there was Myspace and email, but I can recall the times of putting together tangible photo albums by printing out pictures at the local grocery to share with my friends. Back then I may have owned a disposable camera, but when something significant happened, I didn’t even think about taking it out. I feel at that time in my life I was able to embrace the joy of living out the actual moment instead of being consumed with trying to capture it digitally.
To avoid my obsession with sharing on social media, I decided to challenge myself to share with only God. When one of these moments comes about in my day-to-day living that I feel compelled to document, I take a mental snapshot and propel it up to my higher power and say to myself, “This moment is just for us.”
“So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6–7
This challenge reminds me of one of my favorite homilies, where our parish priest encouraged us to spend more time with God during the day by embracing the opportunities he presents us, most of the time without us even realizing it. When you’re on the elevator, in traffic, or waiting in line, have a conversation with God. Countless times while I’m in the carpool pickup line I find myself endlessly scrolling through meaningless content, content that usually leaves me questioning myself and feeling empty. Instead of spending time on your phone, take a moment to pause and strengthen your relationship with your higher power by challenging yourself to put away the distractions and focus on gratitude and all the things we love about our children.
When we’re at the end of our journey, will we remember all the amazing photos we took or how many Instagram followers we had? No. We’ll remember the cherished little moments, the soft smile of our children, the cute pose of our pets, and the loud laughter of all our favorite friends together. I implore you to humble yourself and pause. Embrace these timeless memories, and cast them up towards your higher power with a knowing smile that these moments are just between the two of you.