I was envious of another woman’s home because it was so beautiful and put together, and mine was not. A few years later I learned that her husband cheated on her and they went though a messy divorce.

I was jealous of another woman’s slim figure and then I learned she had an eating disorder.

I felt embarrassed that I wasn’t as thrifty as one of my friends was, and then I learned that her husband was abusive and had been withholding money from her.

I wanted to be as funny and laid back as this one mom seemed. And then I learned that her biggest fear was dying before her special needs daughter, because then there would be no one left to take care of her.

I was envious of another woman’s life. And then I learned her mom was dying of cancer.

I felt like my parenting was inadequate compared to another mom’s. And then I learned her preteen was doing drugs.

I wished for her carefree life. And then I learned she had four miscarriages in a row.

I thought they were the perfect family. And then I learned they had nearly $100,000 in debt.

It’s easy to envy what looks good in another person’s life. But it’s important to remember that we all have “stuff.” We all have pain. And we all have beauty too. Never assume someone has it easier than you, because you DON’T know what’s happening behind closed doors.

These are real people with real stories. And I could tell many more. And those are just the things I’m AWARE of. How much more is there that I’m not?

I feel ashamed when I look back on the times I felt jealousy towards another person for the good in their lives. It’s not fair to them and it’s not fair to me either. Jealousy is a liar.

Life isn’t a fairy tale. We all have battles we are fighting. I promise I’ll always try to see the whole you, friends, both the beauty AND the pain. ️

This post was originally published on the author's Facebook page, Driving Mom Crazy.