Real-life before-and-after photos Fox 17 morning anchor Deanna Falzone posted four months ago have gone viral.
The before photo shows her walking into work for her morning shift at the Grand Rapids, Mich., station: hair unwashed, shirt on inside out. Falzone had been up all night with her 3 month old.
“BEFORE AND AFTER: I get a text from my executive producer this morning, “Where are you?” (for the record, he’s great and SUPER understanding). Yup, running about a half hour late. Because a sick 3-month-old baby and 3 a.m. alarm for work don’t mix well. I get to work and Avery says, “Do you know your shirt is on inside out?” Yes, yes I do. I also haven’t washed or really brushed my hair since last Sunday. Can you tell?”
The after photo shows her just before airtime: perfect hair, perfect makeup and perfect smile.
“Let’s be honest … we’re all a hot mess, just pretending to have it all together (or maybe some days we actually do). I’ll tell you what, my anxiety has been at an all-time high lately. It always is when I work through a life change. But every day I’m trying (some days I do a better job than other days), but I’m trying. And I’m sure YOU are too! So, don’t be so hard on yourself. Don’t let what you see on social media fool you into thinking that’s reality. It’s what happens “behind the scenes” that’s always the hardest, but also what makes you stronger. Ooo and thank goodness for dry shampoo, bronzer and coffee.”
Falzone’s story hit home for a lot of working moms. Good Morning America picked up the story this week and it’s getting traction across the internet.
In a Facebook post about the exposure, Falzone said, “If this reaches just one woman who needs to hear it, then I’ve done my job.”