Greener on the other side...really?

So you've heard that saying, "It's not always greener on the other side." Well, I'm not talking about seeing other people, I'm talking about other people's lives. Here's what I learned....

Ok, I started out in a tiny little two bedroom home, always dreamed of having bigger and better and yes I envied those who had things better then me. Well one day a neighbor was selling her house and this house was a big house, a mansion. I looked at it and dreamed about everything I could do with it...I mean I was only 19 at the time. This mansion had 19 rooms, 2 kitchens, dining room, library, 5 bathrooms, 4 bedrooms, tv room with walk out balcony, huge basement and a huge attic, huge front porch with gigantic pillars out front, driveway that could hold atleast 20 cars. I was having kids and this place was perfect, I thought. I did what I could, I painted, we added a garage, a pool and a new deck out back, swing set for the kids, all this over time.

It was all great and fine, but after having multiple kids, cause we had foster kids, we did our volunteer work, schooling all along raising all these kids. I never did quite get the place like I dreamed of getting it because I was to busy with my responsibilites. So when we would leave the house and go somewhere, I would look at others homes and I would envy them because they had a SMALL house. I would think, "Wow, if I had a smaller home I could really keep it clean and spend more time with my kids."

Well we soon moved from that home out to California and got a smaller home. I fixed it up and made it nice, it was small like I wanted and I kept it clean too! Some how after being there for a while I ended up getting some house cleaning jobs. I did a few regular homes and did good. During all this time, I still thought about how some had bigger and nicer homes and things. Living in California was like trying to keep up with the Jones. Even my kids wished for bigger and better. No matter what though, I wanted a smaller home but nicer things. Well I landed this great job with a doctor's wife. She lived in a well to do home and right across from a golf club, it was very beautiful. I remember going there and meeting her, she showed me her home and told me all she wanted me to do. Some how though walking through her house, I guess when I was younger I would have really envied her home and all she had, but not this time for some reason. As I worked for months and months went by. A couple of times my youngest daughter would go with me, cause the Mrs. didn't mind. My daughter would say, "O, when I grow up I want a house like this, and I want a house keepers and I want to decorate like she does!" I would tell her, you keep up in school and get a good job and you can have all this. What she didn't know was, what I was thinking. Well after working there for the Mrs. for a couple of years, I got to know her and her family, all she did, had done to home, she always trusted me to be there by myself, never complained about my work and sometimes she would call me to come help her. I got other jobs with doctor's wives and a famous person's and her doctor dad. I got to see how these well to do people lived, were they traveled and how they spent time with their families. They all treated me good and would bring back something for me, OMG they were thinking about me. I treasured every gift they gave me and when they gave me an extra bonus, that was a treat because that meant I could shop and get something nice for my house or my kids. One of those women would call me at Christmas time, just to come wrap all the gifts, cause one time she had some stuff and I guess I wrapped it up really good so she called me every year. Everything they told me, I kept to myself, every time I went there they would even want me to sit with them and chat. I loved working for them and would do it again. But I learned something from them that never crossed my mind before.

That is this...."It's not always greener on the other side." Yep, people may think that others with major things and millions of dollars have it made. There is just no reason to envy them. I mean be happy for them cause they earned what they have and all but I saw things and some things I don't think I could pull off so well. These people have WORRIES more then the average person, I think. These doctors and their wives and this famous person, had jobs they went to everyday, no excuses and with all the lovely things they had, traveling, keeping up with their homes, is just mind blowing. So, in seeing what it is to have everything, well there comes responsibility, the gardners, pool people, the charities they run, parties, housekeepers, car washers, booking agents, decoraters, painting people, window washers, the bills, chefs and the list could go on. So I learned that maybe it was best that I keep dreaming and instead of envying others and wishing I had what they had, that I should enjoy what I have, I don't have to worry about all that stuff they go through. It's a lot on their plate, I think. So today, I enjoy what I have and I know if I want something I can go get it not to envy. It also taught me that what others do for you, you should really appreciate it because the people that are doing stuff for you, you have no clue either what they are going through. That is why I am always considerate of others and if and that's a big IF, I ever get to a point where I make it big or can live like well to do people, I will understand what comes with having it all. I've also learned to treat others with respect because I haven't walked in their shoes. Just be happy with what you have and what you don't have to worry about. So NO..no it's not always greener on the other side!