The grass is always greener

A few days ago I decided to run over to Target on my lunch break. I used to do this a lot but now rarely make it over there. Target is one of my favorite places and there's one just a few miles from my office. It's the perfect break in the middle of the day but I always end up spending money unnecessarily, so I try not to make a habit of hitting it up.

So I take a few minutes and wander around Target. It must have been cute baby day at Target and no one told me because I swear I saw at least a dozen beautiful babies ranging in age from itty bitty to 9 months old. I smiled and got teary-eyed at each one. The mamas looked put-together, happy, and enjoying time with their little ones. I got jealous.

These moms, I assumed, were stay at home moms, or at least had a flexible enough schedule to be with their babies in the middle of the day. I never have the opportunity to take Wesley to Target anymore because my work schedule is so chaotic. I'm incredibly blessed to have a wonderful job that is flexible and I'm able to bring Wesley to certain activities, but watching all those sweet mamas and their little ones made me jealous.

I wandered through Target, smiling, getting teary, lather/rinse/repeat. I bought a fun blow-up pool for Wesley, sunscreen, and carried around a sweet little swimsuit for a good while before deciding he didn't really need a swimsuit. I missed my boy and seriously considered asking to hold one of the cute babies I saw...You know, to help the mama shop with both hands...

As I was getting back in my car I realized how silly I was being. It was literally over 100 degrees and my car got incredibly hot, even though I was only inside for a few minutes. Taking a baby out in that kind of heat is miserable. They get sweaty, you get sweaty, the carseat is on fire even with the vents all pointed back, and it's just no fun at all. I was sitting in my car alone, drinking my caramel frappuccino with all the vents pointed right at me. It hit me that perhaps some of those mamas were jealous of me...

I was wandering around Target alone. Mamas (and Daddies) know that alone time is precious. I was wearing dress clothes and didn't have any baby fluid on me at all. (I dress last thing before kissing my boys and walking out of the house to avoid any messes!) I know I shouldn't take those precious moments alone for granted.

The message I learned that hot day in the Target parking lot is the grass is always greener. And sometimes that means I long for drool down my shirt and sometimes I long for uncomfortable shoes and a caramel frappuccino.

How do you deal with jealousy? What makes you think the grass is greener? How do you remember to be grateful?