Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence?

Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? The more I hear this phrase spoken, the more I think it is true. Or, perhaps I just want it to be true. I look at married couples and envy their happiness, yet I wonder if they envy my single life? Do they miss the thrill of a new crush and a first date, or do they marvel in the contentment of married life? Sometimes I see a mother with a new baby and ponder if I will ever be fortunate enough to have a baby of my own. But, I have no idea what her life is like. She could have three more kids at home, a husband who doesn't help her enough, and the desire but not the time to do something that does not involve diapers, formula, and pacifiers. Or maybe she is blessed enough to love being a mom and has a loving husband who works so she doesn't have to AND helps her whenever he can.

I smile at a young teenage girl and miss the days of no bills, no cellulite, and no real responsibility. Does she look at me and want to live on her own, pay her own bills, and have a full-time job? I find myself envying my friends with more high profile jobs that involve restaurant openings, travel, and other exciting opportunities. But maybe they wish they had a more simple job that was less stressful, so they could have more free time. So, is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? Does the A-list celebrity wish she could become invisible for a day while the struggling actor continues to wait for his big break? Does the married couple of 5 years who fights all the time look at their single friends and want to turn back time? We want what we don't have. Yet, it also seems that when we get it, it doesn't look the way we thought it would. The marriage, the job, the divorce, the baby, the trip around the world, the new house...while these things are all lovely blessings, they might not be what we thought they would be when we finally make it over to the other side of the fence.

"A child on a farm sees a plane fly overhead and dreams of a faraway place.

A traveler on the plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of home."

(Carl Burns)