Learning to Live Means Letting Go

I’ve always wondered why the grass on the other side of the fence is greener – -literally. Why is my yard so brown? I use the same lawn care treatment as my neighbors, yet their grass is so much more lush, so much more vibrant. It isn’t fair. My grass is dry and shriveled, like hair that’s been bleached too many times, all Britney Spearish. When I step on it, it roars at me: CRACK. SNAP. CRUNCH. My grass sounds like a college kid heading for a 9 AM classes.

But I shouldn’t be complaining about the quality of my lawn, not when there are numerous other things to complain about. No, wait – -that’s not what I meant. I can’t be that cynical; life is too short to gripe about grass (and lousy grades and mean professors) because there are sunsets! And pink ponies! And rainbows! There are dew drops screaming to be venerated by every soccer mom who claims she’s too busy to admire Mother Nature because she has a salon appointment.

Oh, and then, along with all the conventionally beautiful things, there are doorknobs. ‘Doorknobs?’ you ask, with one eyebrow slightly raised. Yes, doorknobs. Haven’t you ever noticed them before? They’re gorgeous. Some are gilded, like a star before its death, gleaming gold in a dark room. Others are tarnished, black as a pearl. I’ve seen small doorknobs, round doorknobs, crystal doorknobs, painted doorknobs, broken doorknobs….yes, I’ve seen doorknobs, but most people tend to admire the door instead because doors are large and intimidating. Doors demand your attention; doorknobs demand nothing; they only ask for a quick glance, but, unfortunately, modest things are often ignored.

In addition to doorknobs, there are flowerpots, but they’re usually overlooked because the eye is drawn to the fancy-smancy flowers inside instead. If you bother, you’ll soon realize that there are also chair legs, spatulas, cicada moltings, gum wrappers, plastic bags, hubcaps, guitar strings, cracks in the sidewalk, abandoned bird feeders, and matchbooks, too. We take them for granted because they’re ordinary objects, commonly seen and, sadly, commonly forgotten. We ask for greener grass because we fail to see the beauty in the brown blades right before us.

Look, just for a moment and you’ll understand….the shriveled grass is just as glorious as the sprawl of green nextdoor. So remove your gloves, take off your mask, put the insecticides away, and close the garage door. But before you throw the key away, make sure you take out a nice, comfy lawn chair.