Months after the drowning death of his 3-year-old son, Granger Smith went on Instagram Sunday to explain why he has shied away from social media.
“I haven’t said much on socials lately,” the country singer, 40, began. “It’s not that I don’t have anything to say, it’s more that most things just don’t seem important enough to share.”
Smith, who has only sporadically posted on Instagram since son River’s death in June, said the way people portray themselves is an illusion that doesn’t interest him.
“We all know that social media has become a mask...a highlight reel per say, that we can hide behind and appear to promote our best moments of our best days. Eh...that stuff doesn’t matter. That’s why I enjoy continuing The Smiths channel on YouTube because I can turn on the camera and talk like we’re just friends in the same room. No mask,” he wrote.
Smith singled out his wife, Amber, for continuing to share, noting how she has taken the lead in expressing their feelings.
“Amber has continued to post on her socials and I’m blown away by her ability to be so real, raw and engaging in her captions and pictures,' he explained. "Once upon a time I had the way with words in our relationship, but now I’m letting her speak for us both. We certainly see the world with our masks off now.”
In the wake of River's death, Amber Smith has been vocal about losing her son. While she has shared photos and memories, she also found a measure of comfort by revealing she and Granger decided to donate River's organs.
That decision has helped Smith, who is touring right now, become more sensitive to the fact that every person has his or her own story.
“Each night I find myself looking out at faces in our crowd and thinking about all the different stories...all the hidden struggles. We need each other,” he wrote.
He wrapped up his post on a positive note.
“All that said, know this: Life is a storm. Realizing that makes it easier to be grateful for the rays of sunshine," he wrote.