the burden of envy

today's small group discussion was on envy. unfortunately, i slept through the first part of it. [sorry derrick!] but the rest of the discussion was good. it was relatively easy to talk about, since envy is something we've all experienced. ppl shared about the things they envy most. most of us agreed that above material things, what we envy the most are healthy, intimate, strong relationships. the kind between family members and close friends and significant others. some come from rough backgrounds/families, and always envied friends' home lives. others come from that type of enviable family, yet was sheltered as a result and found it difficult to adjust to real-world realities. some have yet to experience a healthy, loving relationship with someone of the opposite sex, while others long for intimacy in their friendships. and of course, we also talked about envying a person's lot in life...money, security, education, social status, etc. but all that paled when compared to enviable relationships. it's easier to live without the material than to live with the lonliness.