Ridge Returns to the Dentist

Ridge goes to the doggie dentist again today for his second round of drilling and capping on the tooth he broke two months ago.

I suspect he'll come home sedated (heavily this time, unlike his recent impulse-controlling adventures with Benedryl).

Poor boy.

He could barely stand up when he came home last time. And his face was sooooo droopy he almost looked like a Shar-Pei.

When Don and Ridge left this morning Elsie and Baxter, of course, went wild with jealousy ("Ridge gets to go in the car with Dad, and we don't!"). If only they knew what awaited Ridge at the other end of his ride.

Humans are like that, aren't we? We envy other people's experiences, circumstances, successes, lives, jobs, relationships, and things. But we don't consider the downsides that come with the very things over which we're jealous. Like Elsie and Baxter, we only know what we see. We don't even consider what we cannot see.

If only we really knew. We might not be jealous at all. We might even learn to be content with what we've been given. Our lives might not look so bad after all.

Everyone has downsides to their lives. There's no such thing as a greener pasture. Not really. Oh sure, we can always find ways to improve our circumstances or ways in which we'd like to see our lives change. But the point is this: every greener pasture has its weeds and fences, no matter how green.

And if we can't deal with the weeds and fences we have (big or small), how can we expect to better cope with others'?

When Ridge comes home later today, Elsie and Baxter will undoubtedly shower him with concern and affection, their momentary jealousy long forgotten.

These two crazy critters have much to teach us about short jealousy memories and long lavish concern for others. They know how to put things behind them. They've learned to be content. They know how to love.

Do we?

'Til next time,
Joan