“You never know what people are battling behind screens.” -Jenna Kutcher
One weekend in April I posted some Instagram Stories about National Sibling Day.
And then I cried uncontrollably.
The stories were light-hearted in nature - poking fun at my brother for handcuffing my sister and me to a tree in the woods and leaving us there. I could have added plenty more. But I’ll save some for next year.
As I viewed those pictures it clearly triggered more than lighthearted “ha-ha” feelings. And that’s because our family has been in a BATTLE this past year. I’ll only share my siblings’ stories, which is the tip of the iceberg.
Many months back, in one moment, my brother experienced a sudden onset of tinnitus-type symptoms - he equates the sound level to that of a dentist drill. Constantly. The sound never stops, and it has affected his quality of life dramatically.
My sister’s husband has stage 4 cancer and after months of chemo it has led to CAR-T therapy. At this very moment he sits in a hospital room dealing with major side affects, some neurological. Times are scary and hard. On top of it all, he is alone because no visitors are allowed due to Covid-19.
And yet- my website pictures and Instagram grid shows none of that. While necessary to market myself well, it certainly does not tell my full story. In reality this has been the absolute hardest year of my life, full of much pain and hurt.
So - to those of you who are struggling and look at people’s Facebook and Instagram posts and wonder why they’re doing so great and you’re perhaps not, remind yourself of what you already know. Everybody’s got something. Some of us will share it. Many will not. I will be here online to remind you time and again that you are not alone in your struggles. You’re in plenty of company...and you have a God who promises to never leave your side.
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6
For more content like this, follow my writings on social media (Instagram and Facebook) and on my website kimcaifano.com.