You can't have it all.. Or can you?

Recently I had an opportunity to spend some time with a good friend of mine, school teacher/author/singer/songwriter/actor/screenwriter Kim Nyesha Smith. I've known Kim for about 7 years now, and the purpose of our recent time together was to get some photographs for her new social media campaign. Kim, like many others coming more into public view, wants to polish up her image. She's pruning her post on social media, particularly her Instagram page, to be a little more guided and intentional. She wants her page to be a genuine look into her life. Whether it's making a short film or spending time with her youngest daughter Star, her aim is to post content that sincerely represents her reality. During the photo shoot, we paused, sat down and had a good long conversation about her life. I told her I was impressed by her ability to balance professional life and family life so well, and how seamless and effortless it looked from the outside-looking-in. It's a "juggling act"  sometimes, she said. "I have to set up systems for my self" she added. She then went on to describe how she was teaching her second to last, son Bryce, to play the role of big brother to daughter Star. Things like that she says helps take the edge off of being a mom. 

She also talked about figuring out where to draw the line between public and private moments. When talking about social media, that's a problem we all have to deal with now. It's true we get to add to the tank of public perception and to control our own celebrity, but to what extent? At what point does Frankenstein turn from a marvelous creation to a horrible ungodly monster come to exact his revenge?

 I think "everything in good measure" is the key here. I think we all would love to project a fabulous life covered in smiles and sunny skies but the reality is different. It's always different. We learn to mix the good with the bad, maximizing on our wins and differing our loses. We do this to preserve some measure of our humanity and dignity. 

This affords us the ability to still share our lives and tell our stories despite its imperfections.