It’s a familiar scene. I’m aimlessly scrolling through Facebook, laundry piling up, and I stumble across a familiar face. It’s like recognizing an actress from a film but not quite placing her. Often, I glance at her name just to realize it’s a memory of a fellow mom friend – someone I’ve connected with during her journey through motherhood. And wow, does she look different from her younger self!
These little discoveries are pure gold. As mothers of young kids, we constantly meet other moms, all of us sporting bags under our eyes and exhaustion written across our faces. We share stories about sleepless nights, diaper disasters, and our kids’ epic meltdowns, all while feeling like our lives are mundane to anyone outside our circle. We send each other articles on sleep training that rarely yield results, knowing we’re all just trying to survive this wild ride together.
Then, there she is – my friend from a decade ago, probably at a college party, a red solo cup in hand, her hair perfectly styled, and a carefree smile gracing her face. She looks radiant and full of life, with no worries except whether she’ll make it to her 9 AM lecture. Perhaps she’s off on an adventure in Thailand with friends or presenting her groundbreaking thesis on T cell regulation in a PhD program we didn’t even know she completed. Whatever her past holds, she looks nothing like the mom I see at story time, who has yogurt stains on her fleece.
These snapshots from the past are delightful reminders of who our friends were and, more importantly, who they still are. Just because that phase of life seems distant and trivial now (seriously, why were those vests so popular?) doesn’t diminish the significance of those photos. They remind us that our friends are vibrant individuals with so much to contribute to the world, and so are we.
As for those physical changes we’ve undergone since becoming mothers? Bring them on! It’s not tragic that she’s no longer a size 4 (or, in my case, a size 10). Women are meant to evolve. We’ve nurtured tiny humans who demand our time, energy, and everything in between. Does that mean our once-bright eyes might look a bit more tired before we’ve had our morning coffee? Perhaps! Have our jawlines shifted from Disney princess to something a little more Ursula-like? Maybe! But we embrace these changes because they reflect our journey, and we owe no one an apology.
Returning to that girl in the Facebook memories, should we overlook her carefree, youthful spirit? Absolutely not. The life she’s living in those snapshots has shaped the person she is today. Whether she was already in a loving relationship or enjoying the single life, every decision made back then has contributed to the family dynamics we see today.
Her professional aspirations from back in the day still matter, even amidst the chaos of parenting. Whether she’s juggling work commitments or taking a break from her career, her ambitions and insights remain invaluable, even if they sometimes feel out of reach.
So, let’s not dismiss those vibrant younger versions of ourselves and our friends that pop up on social media. They remind us of the fun, fearless women we once were, and still are. Those girls in velour tracksuits and sticky lip gloss are the very women we lean on now. Let those memories serve as gentle nudges to acknowledge our growth and resilience.
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In summary, looking back at our friends’ younger selves in Facebook memories is a beautiful reminder of the multifaceted lives we lead. We’ve grown, evolved, and navigated the complexities of motherhood together, and those memories serve as proof of our journey.
Keyphrase: Facebook memories and motherhood
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