Social media is an interesting place.
It connects us, entertains us, and sometimes without realizing it, it quietly blurs the lines between public and personal space.
Lately, I've been thinking about something that seems small on the surface but often carries the unexpected weight-removing or unfollowing someone online, and the reactions that can follow.
What I find most surprising isn't the act itself, but that people notice. That they take the time to check, to confirm, and to feel hurt by it. And while I understand that response on a human level-we all want to feel included-it also makes me pause.
As a 42-year-old mom of five, my days are full in the most ordinary and meaningful ways. I'm juggling schedules, responsibilities, and the small, fleeting moments that make up real life. My social media isn't a stage or a statement- it's simply an extension of that life. A place where I share what feels comfortable, what feels appropriate, and what feels mine. I also get immense joy looking back on my memories and seeing just how quickly time has passed. It's like my unwritten journal.
So when I choose to remove someone from that space, it's rarely about them in a personal sense. It's about creating a boundary.
And boundaries, especially in the digital world, can be misunderstood.
We often think of social media as something we are all entitled to access equally-but the truth is, it's much more like our homes than we realize. We open the door, we invite people in, and sometimes, as life changes, we gently adjust who has access to those spaces.
Not out of harm. Not out of judgement. But out of a need for privacy, clarity, and peace.
There's also something worth reflecting on in the act of noticing. In a world where we are all busy, all navigating our own responsibilities, it takes intention to check in on someone else's digital presence. And perhaps, in that, there's a quiet reminder: connection and attention are meaningful things. Where we choose to place them matters.
At the same time, it's important to remember that not every change is a reflection of conflict. Sometimes is simply reflects growth. Or a shift in comfort. Or a desire to hold certain parts of life a little closer. Or simply to keep peace and privacy.
None of us are as closely observed as we might think-and yet, in small ways, we are. And maybe that's a gentle nudge to approach each other with a little more understanding.
To assume less.
To take things less personally.
To recognize that boundaries are not rejection-they are care, directed inward.
Because at the end of the day, curating your space-whether online or in life-isn't about excluding others.
It's about honoring what feels right for you.
And that is something we all deserve the freedom to do.