The Grass is Always Greener...

Just a few of the conversations I've had this week at work have come back to the old saying "the grass is greener on the other side" and it is funny how many situations this saying applies to. There is always something we want that we don't have.

My thought process started this week when I was talking to my coworker about how much Chris and I want a house, and how we feel stuck in our Condo since the economy plummeted and our house lost value. How many homeowners 5-6 years ago (when we bought our place) would have ever thought that renting for 5 years would be more beneficial than owning a place for 5 years. Because that is the situation we are in. If we were renting, we could just leave/ not renew a lease. But No, we have to sell and most likely take a loss if we do. We feel stuck.

Then I was talking to a coworker about her life and her new purchases since she just bought the new iPad and was telling me how excited she was playing around with it. She is a single girl living with roommates making RN wages (we aren't millionaires... but we do alright) and she just got back from China doing charity work for Operation Smile. It was her second time.

As I was driving home I was thinking about all the places she has been and how she not only has the money to do so, but the free time as well. Her rent is probably 1/2 or even 1/3rd of what my mortgage is. And she can buy a new iPad if she wants.

However, that is a narrow way of looking at it. I look at her situation and see the freedoms I used to have and how I have sacrificed some of that to be a wife and mom. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being a wife and mom (I wouldn't trade that), but there are some things you have to sacrifice to do so. I read a post on Pinterest that said, "You know your a mom when going to the grocery store by yourself is a vacation". There is some truth to that.

But what it really comes down to is looking at the WHOLE picture.

My work friend has expressed a desire to find a good guy and get married. So maybe she looks at my life and sees that? Who knows?

Maybe Chris and I's situation with our Condo isn't ideal, but there are families in my ward with 2 or even 3 kids... (with more on the way) that are in a 2 BEDROOM CONDO.... that bought their place for more than we bought ours. There are family's just barely getting by with one income. There are family's where both parents have lost their jobs and have little education to fall back on. And I'm complaining that my 3 (soon to be 4) person family is "running out of space" in my 3 bedroom condo. There is always someone in a situation worse than yours. It really puts things in perspective. I am humbled a lot talking to people in my ward.

I'm glad that we do desire more for ourselves and look to others for inspiration. That desire helps propel us forward. Without it we would never progress. However, we do need to keep things in perspective. That way we can be grateful for what we have, while we work for our dreams.