The Greatest Lesson I learned in 2021

As 2021 is about to end, I want to share the greatest lesson it taught me...

It was just another day on social media when I saw a post from my friend. We had been friends for years, but we didn't live near each other so we only saw each other online.

I clicked on her profile and started scrolling through her pictures. She looked so happy in every one of them. I smiled as I scrolled past the pictures of her husband and their beautiful children. I thought about how lucky she was.

I noticed she had a new profile picture. I clicked on it and started to read her post about how much she loved being married, but also how lonely it got sometimes. She said that after having kids, things changed for her in ways that weren't always easy to adjust to.

I clicked on the comments section and started reading what people were saying about her post. She had hundreds of likes and tons of positive messages wishing her well or asking for advice.

As I scrolled through all the love she was getting from complete strangers, something in my heart shifted a little bit. I wished that I could be there for her, to give her a hug and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

But I knew that I couldn't do that. Instead, I just typed out a message telling her how much I loved her and how proud of her I was. I hit send and went to bed feeling happy that I had been able to connect with my friend in a small way, even though we were miles apart.

I woke up the next morning and checked my phone. My friend had written back to me, thanking me for reaching out and telling her that she wasn't alone in how she felt.

She shared that she had felt like no one understood what it was really like to feel lonely after having children, but reading my words made her realize that I did.

She said that knowing someone else out there got it helped more than anything and asked if we could talk on the phone later in the week. My heart swelled with happiness as I read her message. I couldn't wait to hear her voice and catch up on all the things that had been going on in her life.

That's the power of social media friendship. Even though we may never meet in person, we can still connect with each other and share our lives with each other. It may not be the same as in-person friendships, but it's still pretty amazing.

One more lesson I learned is, the life of social media is deceptive. You never know what happens on the inside. Someone may seem to have perfect life but in reality, they're struggling with something.

Just because you don't see it doesn't mean that someone else isn't going through the same thing. It's important not to compare your life with someone else's because no one knows what is happening on the inside.

So, let go of judgment and start being compassionate towards yourself and others!

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your friends is just be there for them. Whether it's through a message or just by listening, let them know that you're always here