Above is the sweet picture of loving sisters I posted on Facebook for the Fourth of July, with two cute little girls snuggling (ironically wearing the same dress as last year, which is the ONLY other time they’ve ever worn it- will I ever learn?).

Below is a more accurate view of what that day actually looked like, when not shined up by the Facebook filter (and I don’t mean image filter):

Sure, people have lots of pictures, good and bad, and tend to share the “best” ones (they used to say it takes a whole roll of film to get ONE good one – I wonder what that stat is in digital terms?). However, I will maintain (or maybe confess?) that the picture chosen to put up on Facebook is generally the SHINY HAPPY one.

When I say Facebook filter, I mean this: Pick a person you care about (or even one you don’t) and go check out their Facebook page – not their most recent post but their whole page. Most often when you do that you’d think all they do is vacation and hug and celebrate and see really cool stuff (most often with friends who seem to like them). Maybe we really ARE all Trolls (from the movie, not the under the bridge kind).

Facebook posters have deep, passionate thoughts on subjects – are quippy and fun – run 5Ks for good causes, remember loved ones fondly, ask help for friends and think their toes look great in those “me perspective” pool photos (that one may be off-topic but it is pretty common and DOES imply vacation/calm/happy).

I’ll bet you have a Facebook friend (or have had to DE-FRIEND someone) who tends to post negative or depressing thoughts or just overshare completely inane details about their lives, but I’ll also bet that’s the exception, not the rule. Or else all I have are some incredibly homogeneous (and mostly happy) Facebook friends.

Let me be clear. It’s not always an “upper” to head to Facebook and see everyone’s blissful happiness, but just like watching a good movie, if you can you suspend disbelief for long enough, you sure can be thankful so many people ARE having seemingly happy, kind moments.

Anyway, I’m not trying to say what I post on Facebook is fake. It’s not. But I will say that what I love about Facebook is while I have a lot of pictures that look like this:

(blurry, but cute!)

I also have a lot that look like these:

The many faces of LIFE. Thanks, Facebook, for (usually) bringing out the best in us.