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The Other Side of the Fence
It is so easy for people to stand on their side of the fence line and wish they had what was on the other side. What is hard is to focus on your own side and appreciate and improve what is there.
This is true of almost every aspect of your life.
For example, we own five acres. When we bought the house and land it had sat abandoned for over twenty years and was a jungle. The house next door sits on four acres. It’s well taken care of. The trees that are there are ones they want and not ones that have gone wild over the years. The flowering bushes they have are beautiful and pruned. They were chosen and planted by the owner.
It’s easy for me to stare over the fence line and wish it were mine. No more chopping down trees and brush-hogging one small area at a time. There would be no more fighting the invasive vines that have taken over the land.
If I think about it though, it’s nice to enjoy some wildness in life. The patches of wild blackberries growing wouldn’t be there if things were mowed and perfect. The deer that enjoy the back area of the land wouldn’t have the protection or the food sources they currently have. If things were manicured and perfect, the neighbors on the other side of us would be able to watch everything we do.