As a caregiver why do I keep comparing my situation? 

Your brain is normal.

What do you see when you look at this photo?

Do you wonder…How long the grandparents have been married, where did they meet? What activities do the kids do, what are they up to secretly? How often are mom and dad romantic, do they ever fight? Then our brains compare, it’s what they do.

We look at “happily ever after” pictures and compare our lives and families to them.

Comparing rarely helps, it often leads us down a path of despair, I’ve done it, you’ve done it.  Without effective outcomes.

What if I told you no one in this photo is related? It’s true. It is a staged photo, it came from stock photos.

I know. It’s all made up and look at all the thoughts you had.

So easy to go down that path, it’s what our brains do, totally normal.

Every individual and family is unique, perfectly imperfect.

Can you be grateful for what you do have, avoid the “compare and despair” trap, take 1 minute today, set your timer and write down 3 things you are thankful for…you don’t have to stop there.

Next time you see a photo or ad, remember it’s likely staged.