DEAR ABBY: I just got off the phone with a friend who makes me envious. "Sally" is a nice person with a great attitude. She married an intelligent, confident man who has become successful and has always been crazy about her. She lives in a beautiful home and has never had to work. She has a close and loving family who travels all over the world together, celebrating every occasion.
When she finishes telling me about her wonderful life, she then asks about mine. But, Abby, I just can't bring myself to tell her about my boring job, my unsuccessful husband, my parents who fight constantly and my average children. So I lie and say that everything is "fine," and after I hang up I feel like a miserable failure.
Sally is one of my dearest friends, and I would hate to end the friendship, but every conversation with her makes me feel worse. What should I do? -– ENVIOUS OF SALLY
DEAR ENVIOUS: First of all, stop measuring yourself and your life against your friend, who may or may not be telling you EVERYTHING that's going on in her life. The fact that Sally's house is bigger, her husband makes more money than yours does and they travel often does not make her more "successful" than you.
What you need is an attitude adjustment. Grab a piece of paper, sit down and start listing the blessings in your life, starting with your health and that of your family. Your husband is working and so are you. Many people aren't so fortunate.
Your children may not be straight-A students or star athletes, but are they productive? Reasonably well-adjusted? Happy? OK, so your parents fight. If they're still together after battling all these years, could it be the way they communicate?
What I'm trying to help you see is that although your life is different from your friend's, you are successful, too. And the next time Sally asks you about your life, you should level with her and let her really get to know you.