People on television always look like they have it all together.
But that's not always so, as displayed by the viral tweet of Gretchen Goldman of Washington, D.C. Part of Goldman's job is to communicate science policy news in the media. She had 45 minutes to prepare for a national television interview.
And because she's a boss, and also a mom of two boys, she did what moms do: she got it done.
Goldman said she needed "good lighting, the computer at eye-level, and a professional background. I put a chair on top of our coffee table and wedged the chair I sat in between coffee table and the couch to get the best shot."
The perfect spot, as it turned out, did not look as perfect off camera as it did on.
MORE: Mom's viral hack just might save the teen years"My husband snapped a photo of my interview from decide and it was clear how ridiculous it looked," she said. "I'm awkwardly placed, wearing a jacket but only shorts, and I'm surrounded by our children's toys which are scattered around the room."
Still, Goldman wanted to "be honest about the situation," she told "Good Morning America."
"I had no idea it would get so much attention," she said of her viral tweet, which has been liked more than 300,000 times. Many others are tweeting their similarly chaotic work-from-home lives.
"I thought surely people have done this before after many months of the pandemic but the response has been overwhelming," Goldman said. "It has been amazing and uplifting to see the photos resonate with so many people. Many of us are struggling right now, especially parents and especially moms with small children who are living in a mess we can't keep up with. And that's OK. We shouldn't have to pretend things are perfect right now because they aren't. And we should acknowledge that."