In the past few weeks there’s been another Facebook phenomena, the so called #10yearchallenge. This “challenge” is when a person posts a picture of themselves in 2009 and 2019. Essentially all it does is show how you’ve aged.
Does the way we’ve physically changed really matter? Of course my looks have changed, it’s been TEN YEARS (side note: I mostly just look tired now, thanks kiddos!)
I think the more important thing to explore isn’t seen in a picture. What about our personal growth in that 10 years? Our mental and emotional growth, relationships, life, etc? THOSE are the more imoortant things to reflect on.
10 years ago I was in my early 20s. I was insecure and needed a lot of positive feedback to feel confident. I was in a very toxic and emotionally abusive relationship, and lacked the confidence to realize I deserved to be treated better. I also had a lot of anxiety issues, but didn’t realize it until a few years later. I worked in a factory, didn’t really know what I wanted from the future, didn’t want kids, and honestly was a fairly selfish person.
Now, 10 years later, life looks a lot different. I’m married to a wonderful man, I have two beautiful daughters, and I am a stay at home mom, which is something I never thought I would be. I’ve sought help with my anxiety, both with counseling and medication. I’ve become much more confident in myself and have grown a lot emotionally. Overall, life is just so much different from 10 years ago.
While I may look a little older and a little more tired than I did 10 years ago, on the inside I feel the best I ever have. In my mind, that is far more important than comparing pictures.
Musings of a Small Town Mom 