Got Bragging Rights?

I admit that I enjoy talking about Tyler and his baseball. Whether it is via conversation, Facebook statuses or blogging, I enjoy sharing about baseball. Everything he does is a lot of fun and writing about his accomplishments often occurs. But I try to be very careful not to regularly cross the line from being proud to bragging. I know I sometimes do cross the line (don’t most parents?), but I try to keep it in check.

So what is the difference between bragging and just being a proud parent sharing information?  I asked a friend that question when we discussed it briefly yesterday.  Her thoughts were that bragging occurs when you talk about your kid in such a way that it makes other kids look bad.  In other words, bragging transpires when you make yourself feel good at the expense of making someone else feel bad. For example, let’s say you know that 30 kids tried out for a spot on the local team, and your child was the only one his/her age to make the team. Don’t brag about your child’s sports prowess to the parents of your child’s friends.

Yes, I talk about Tyler on Facebook and on my blog.  Actually, I switched to blog format because I knew that I would be full of emotion this year and would talk about Tyler and all the ups and downs of his senior year.

Yet, is what I’m doing bragging?  Maybe some of my friends on Facebook think my photos are kind of bragging, an embedded “look at how happy I am with my kid and my life.” But if we take this turn down Facebook Lane, things could easily start getting ugly, because then, wouldn’t everything on Facebook be considered “singing your own praises”? Yes, everything, from a person’s picture of his/her World Series tickets or tickets from a Broadway Show (“Look how well-connected and/or cultured I am!”) to another’s pictures of his/her beach vacation (“Look at how well-traveled/happily relaxed I am!”) to another’s selfies (come on, a person wouldn’t be posting pictures of his/herself if he/she didn’t think they were pretty good-looking, right?).

Here’s the thing: I am pretty happy, emotional, but happy. I do get incredible enjoyment from Tyler and his baseball, and I’m proud of him. And I think a healthy level of pride, as demonstrated by posting pictures or status updates, is acceptable.

Are children less acceptable topics of pride for parents, than are the number of pounds someone lost on a diet?  Or maybe the number of miles ran during a workout?  Or a job promotion?  Why are any of these deserved moments of pride more acceptable than a picture of my son smiling (or not, knowing him) while holding an award for Pitcher of the Year?

They’re not.

I don’t get mad at my friends who post pictures of the amazing looking meals they’ve just cooked (I may drool a little, though). I’m not angry with friends who show pictures of homemade pies and cookies they are about to devour while I munch on celery and carrots because I battle my weight every day.

  

As someone who has never made a homemade pie in her life and has gone so far as to call burnt  cheese sticks “dinner”–maybe I am supposed to feel intimidated by these things.  But I don’t. Instead, I think, “Wow, I’m lucky to have such amazing friends.”

 Okay, really I think, “Wow, why don’t they make those pies and cookies for me?”

There is nothing wrong with being proud and sharing it.  If this is bragging, then BRAG, people, BRAG. I am happy when I see that my friends have things in their life that make them happy.  I don’t care whether it’s adorable kids, a new puppy, beach vacations, or great skinny jeans. I love seeing those proud-moment pictures!  I will “like” them, with no bitterness whatsoever. Boom-shak-a-la-ka-la-ka!!

So while others are posting accomplishments in the gym, kitchen and/or at work, I’ll continue to write about my son’s baseball. 

To me the bottom is line is this.........if I resent the happiness and/or successes of Facebook friends, then I’m not really their “friend,” Facebook or otherwise.