Remember when Pinterest was the place? Like, if your house wasn’t decked out in mason jar crafts and perfectly distressed furniture, were you even living? Yeah, that was me. Freshly a mom in my early 20s, I was sucked into the whole ‘aesthetic home’ vortex. And honestly? It messed with my head for years.

See, at the time, my life was… a mess. Postpartum depression hit me hard after my first daughter. I was searching for anything to fill this giant void of feeling unseen and unloved. Plus, my marriage was rocky. Communication? Nonexistent. And let’s just say the military wasn’t exactly helping my husband’s stress levels.

I’m not here to bash Pinterest. It’s a tool, right? But for me, it became a window into a world I desperately wanted but didn’t have. I was obsessed with party planning and Girl Scouts, and Pinterest was a goldmine of ideas. But then, the comparison game started.

Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling… perfect homes, perfect lives, perfect moms balancing it all. And me? I was struggling to keep my head above water, juggling new meds and battling the blues. My house? Definitely not Pinterest-worthy. My friends? They had all the ‘pre-things,’ and I wanted them too. Badly.

Impulsive spending, financial strain, constant comparison – it became a toxic cycle. “Comparison is the thief of joy,” right? More like the death of joy, in my case. I was so busy looking at everyone else’s highlight reel that I completely missed the blessings God had already given me.

The Bible nails it, doesn’t it? 2 Corinthians 10:12 talks about how foolish it is to compare ourselves to others. And Galatians 5:25-26 reminds us that our desires can lead us astray if we don’t live by the Spirit.

So, here’s my heart-to-heart: if you’re a young woman, especially a new mom, and you’re caught in the comparison trap, please hear this: you are unique. God made you that way. Your journey is yours alone. It won’t look like anyone else’s, and that’s okay. Beautiful, even.

Your struggles, your victories, your story – it’s all part of your path. Don’t let anyone else’s curated online life steal your joy. Focus on what you have, embrace your imperfections, and trust that God’s got you. You’re unfinished, not abandoned, remember? And that’s where the real beauty lies.”