Find me Loose Lipped and Laughing

There are friends that I'm genuinely happy for when good things happen to them. Then there are friends that I can't seem to be happy for without FIRST feeling some envy. Or, jealousy. The friend that just got a new house? Jealous. I want a new house. I'm jealous of her new floors, new appliances, new carpet and hardwood floors, and her new car. I comfort myself by comparing myself to my 'friend.' I'm prettier, she's thinner. She's smart, I'm friendly. In general, I'm sweeter. She may have all of these THINGS that I want for myself, but, and this is where I trump her, I'm HAPPIER. I always win. Why does it have to be a competition? I try telling myself that her (or any one's) success does not take away mine. If she's pretty, it doesn't make me LESS pretty. But, I still compare. The friend with the new house should really be working on her relationship. That's the one thing of hers that I do not want for myself. That forces me to ask, if she had a great relationship, would I be jealous of that, too? Maybe not. Mine is pretty phenomenal.

I have a friend that is getting some dental work done. Her smile will be perfect and I'm more than thrilled for her. She's wanted this for as long as I've known her, and that's a LONG time. She's always smiled with her mouth closed because she wasn't proud of her smile. Even on her wedding day, her photos were with a closed mouth smile. Now, my smile is something that I'm vain about, truthfully. It's not perfect, but it's really nice. Usually genuine. I smile with my whole face. It's genetic. Even though I would LOVE a perfect smile, I'm not even a little bit jealous of her. This same friend has an amazing voice. She sings like an angel. Me? I like to sing and I have a decent voice. When I'm alone, I'm a ROCK STAR! I wish I could sing as well as she does, but I'm still not jealous of her talent.

One of my peers at work got a little promotion. Really, just like a half step up. It's a position that I would not want, even as I do want to move up in the company. She is on her way. I think we are pretty evenly matched, but now that she's taken this position, I believe that she will be thought of first when another managerial position is available. That kinda stings. I'm really happy that she took this promotion because I know she'll be fabulous at her job. Honestly, her taking this job makes my job easier! I'm really happy in my current position and I feel that if I never move up, I'll be content for a good long while.

As I'm typing this, basically thinking in print, I realize that I seem to be jealous when someone is BRAGGING about their good fortune. So, the friends that I'm out and out jealous of aren't really my friends at all. True friends tell me these things not because they are trying to make me want what they have, they are sharing their happiness with me because they know I will be cheering them on. They are looking for someone to celebrate with, and I'm always happy to do that.