A Little Jealous, A lot Less Joy
As I scrolled through social media the day after Valentine’s Day, I saw a post that made me stop. My friend posted a picture of her Valentine’s Day gift from her husband. Stunning diamond earrings from Tiffany’s! I was torn between being very excited for her and being more than a little jealous. The thief of joy started to creep in.
The irony of this is that I told my husband that we shouldn’t spend a lot on each other for Valentine’s Day. In the span of one week, we found out that our roof leaks, we have termites, and my car needs to be repaired. The fact that everything seemed to be falling apart all at once was not lost on me!
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Our Love Story
Seeing those diamond earrings made me momentarily forget that my thoughtful husband drove to three stores late at night to find my favorite chocolates. It also made me forget how significant Valentine’s Day is to our love story.
We met the day before Valentine’s Day at Starbucks. We were the last customers to leave when they nicely kicked us out at closing. Every year on February 13th, we go to Starbucks and tell the barista our story. Sometimes we go in person, sometimes we go through the drive-thru but we always go. Our kids sip hot chocolate with whipped cream and listen to us talk about the night that our life changed. It is a tradition that reminds us where we started to fall in love and a ritual that reaffirms our commitment to each other.
Grateful Parents, Grateful Kids
Comparison is truly the thief of joy. Raising thoughtful, grateful kids starts with appreciating what we have and not comparing ourselves to others. We need to model this for our children, even when the earrings come from Tiffany’s! If our children know that they are valued for who they are and not what they have, they will be secure and confident. So will we.
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That being said, I am happy for my friend and grateful for roofers, mechanics and exterminators!
Great article. What you have is more valuable than diamonds!