We Bought a Farm: The Grass Isn't Greener

"Whoever always looks for greener grass on the other side will never be able to appreciate the green grass that was right under their feet the entire time."

The kids and I took a little jaunt over to North Carolina for two nights. My childhood friend, Michelle, lives there, and her oldest son was celebrating his birthday. She has an awesome husband named Hershal and three kiddos in total, and while we've had seasons (like when I was overseas) that we didn't see each other much, we have made it a point to see each other regularly ever since we came back to the USA in 2014. (I added a picture of our kiddos together to my PLEASANT post. You can see it by clicking here.)

Okay but this post really isn't about Michelle and her family as much as it is about how focused I get on greener grass.

I've always been this way. I always second guess my decision and take a good look at the decisions of others and think: Do they have it better?

Two nights before I went to go visit Michelle, JB and I got into discussion after the kids had gone to bed. 

Farming is hard. Are we doing all the right things? Could things be easier.

I told JB I wanted to live a SLOW life, and he shocked me by saying, "A SLOW life sounds boring."

WHAT?!

I told him that I thought we had agreed upon a SLOW life, and he reminded that me what we've agreed about is an INTENTIONAL life. A PURPOSEFUL life. A RURAL life. 

Huh.

Live with a man nearly 21 years (our marriage is almost old enough to drink, and you can still learn something new.)

Following that little discussion, I headed to visit Michelle.

While I do love our rural life, I appreciate getting a taste of urban conveniences. These include:

• FOUR minutes to Publix. FOUR. I mean seriously. Why even plan dinner ahead of time? Just go to Publix everyday. 
• Hobby Lobby. Michelle gave me an hour to myself while she watched all the kids, and I just walked around Hobby Lobby. I've been there a few times, but I've never been able to browse that much. Folks, this store is stinkin' amazing. You should never be bored in your whole life if you live near one of these.
• A community pool. Like, more than a pool actually -- a water park. That was fun. Really fun! We went two days in a row.
• Target less than ten minutes away. I took the girls there to buy the toothbrushes we forgot, and we left with everything but the toothbrushes we went there to buy. 
• INDIAN FOOD!!!!!

But here is the thing. Their life is still busy. They get stuck in traffic. They have to drive long ways to get to places that are determined by how many other people are going the same way. They have neighbors making a lot of noise. Or not approving of what they are doing in their yard. You have to park certain ways on the street and keep your yard maintained and pay money to something called an HOA (insert sarcasm) to live there without issue.

I could go on and on with the thoughts swirling through my head. I get this way every time I go to suburbia . . . in fact I saw metal trees on this trip.

Seriously.

But Michelle and her family are doing the same things we are. They are raising their kiddos to love the Lord. They are homeschooling and doing activities and working jobs and living life.

Isn't that what we are all doing after all in whatever space we are choosing to do it?

They are still getting their kids out in nature. They are doing it with camping and the activities they choose. We are doing it with the farm we live on. 

We all want the same things for our kiddos.

And the grass is really the same color.