But, is it REALLY greener over there??

I have been thinking and talking about the old saying "The grass is always greener over there" a lot lately, and it got me thinking....why is it that when we see "a greener yard" it always seems to us to be an invitation. Isn't it more likely that it is a reminder instead? Maybe, just maybe, it is meant only to let us know we have been neglecting our own yards recently. And, lets be honest...nothing and no one is perfect, no matter how they might appear on the outside. Every person comes with their own problems and quirks, and running from one to another as an escape is almost never the right answer. No man (or woman) is an island, and every decision we make has consequences for us, and the loved ones in our lives. And very often there are consequences for others that we never thought about until it was too late. I see it as a ripple effect...you throw a rock in a pond and the ripples seem to go on forever. The choices we make today will affect any number of people and there is no way to know what they may endure because of our selfishness. Now let me be clear here....I am all for finding your own happiness. God knows I have, finally. But sometimes finding that happiness is as simple as looking into the eyes of the person next to you, and knowing they are in it for the long haul, for better or worse. And realizing that when you focus more on what you have than what you don't have, you might just be surprised at what has been there all along.