Is the grass greener on the other side?

I have a mild obsession with a the alpacas at a local farm… every time we drive past I can’t help craning my neck to see the latest alpaca going ons. (A couple years ago Zach and I went to “Alpaca Days”… I bet you didn’t know they are in the camel family! Fascinating!) Last month during a record breaking 2 weeks of summer-like weather the farmers decided to start shaving the animals for their expensive wool when suddenly the temperatures plummeted and the rain started. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on who you ask, they only shaved one before the flood gates opened. So among the dozens of furry llama looking creatures one shaved long necked freak sticks out like a lemon at an IC party… So now every time we drive by I yell… NAKED! I’m sure the freezing alpaca-sicle enjoys that.

Anyway… as we drove past the fuzzy farm I noticed one of my pals had his head stuck through a tiny hole in the fence to munch the grass from the other side. I, of course, laughed hysterically as he struggled to get his head back to the correct side but my deeper soul couldn’t help thinking that the old saying is true. “The grass IS greener on the other side”.    

It’s an interesting concept because it is totally how people, and apparently animals, think! Don’t feel bad, I know you do it, we all do!

Short and shapely girls want to be tall and skinny… while those statuesque girls wish they had curves. People in the dessert crave the rain… while us Seattleites beg for sunshine. (Seriously… please Mr. Sun?) Those struggling financially pine for money… while the ritzy titzy just want love. The busy people long for a minute to themselves… while bored and lonely people want plans with friends. Single people yearn for a life mate… while married people wish for more independence. Parents want more “me time”… while infertile couples try every thing to have a baby. Stay at home Moms want adult time… while working Moms just want down time with their precious tots. Most applicable to OUR IC lives, the sick people just ask to be healthy… while other people THINK having no job, no responsibilities, and even relaxing in the bath all the time sounds grand.

Isn’t that interesting? I mean seriously… that is just a few examples but I can pretty much guarantee that in every scenario there is some one wanting for some thing that some one else has who in turn craves some thing else. Why can’t we just accept our lives and why must we always compare?

We all have challenges and we all have blessings… some may seem greater or worse than others but ultimately God has dealt each of us our lives and there is no re-deal! I’m not saying to not attempt to improve the bad but let’s be thankful for the many benefits of our situations. In every single scenario mentioned above there is an advantage and disadvantage to each, I bet there is in yours too!

Our lives would be 100 times better if we focused on OUR lives and OUR circumstances instead of comparing them to others and wishing for bigger and better. Change what you can but accept what you can’t.

So let’s lays it out there… I have to be in the shower for hours a day BUT we have a hot water tank that lasts for days! I have a hard time planning things in advance BUT spontaneous plans are fun too! I have to be dependant on others BUT that has made me very close to my support system. I miss Titus when I’m in the shower BUT he is connecting with his Grandma and Daddy! I stay up super late in the shower BUT my Mom takes Titus after I feed him in the morning so I can catch up. When I’m sick it’s so hard to keep up on chores BUT my hubby pays for some one to help clean every other week!  I get lonely and bored in the shower BUT my family comes by to visit and I get lots of time to read. I some times practically live in the shower BUT I am so thankful I have some thing that helps the pain. I have bad nausea and vomiting BUT it has helped me lose weight! I am in lots of pain BUT it could be worse without the resources supplied to me.

I’m not one to be bossy… insert guffaw from loved ones… but seriously give that a try! List every thing you feel is bad in your life then write a counteracting positive trait, it is very eye opening.

Also when you start thinking… dang she is so lucky because she gets to sleep in, has people clean for her, relaxes in the shower all day, has time to read, and has lost weight so easy… try to consider the other side of things… I know I am lucky that I have all those things but I would give it all to just be pain and incontinence free! If my hypothesis is correct this is true for every scenario. We all say “must be nice” when people have money and go on regularly scheduled lavish trips and always have the latest style of shoes in every color but we don’t know how hard they are working or what other things they have skipped to budget for it. We must stop judging others in this way!!     

Okay… before you think I am getting TOO self righteous…know that I am probably one of the worst at this so this is a huge reminder for me.

You girls with IC, this disease sucks… I totally know chum. Until there is a cure we have to keep treating the symptoms as best as we can, living our lives as much as we can, ignoring others judgment if possible, and looking for the best in every situation. For those of you without IC… you lucky little jerks, you have it so easy. HA! Just kidding! (See what I did there?) Seriously though, this does apply to every one but please try to cut us IC chicks some slack… put yourself firmly in our pee dribbled shoes and imagine what it would be like before you judge and we promise to do the same by not just assuming since you don’t have constant pain you live on easy street.