I watched a movie a little while ago: Jenny’s Wedding. Aside from it being a heartfelt watchable flick, there’s one line that stuck with me – “Happy people don’t have dead grass!”

Here’s a little background about the story line. A woman has a difficult time telling her family that she’s getting married… to another woman. Her mom and dad are shocked and upset even, but they come around eventually. Her younger sister on the other hand is less concerned about the “appropriateness” factor behind it all but more so about the fact that she’s the last one to find out. She seems to have this “younger sibling” complex where she’s doing everything ‘the right way’ and yet nothing’s ever good enough. In her eyes, she gets unjustly reprimanded for things like gossiping when the real ‘issue’ at hand is her sister’s big “I’m gay” reveal.

This is where the whole watering the lawn concept comes in. At one point, she gets home to her dead beat husband; looks out the window at her dead lawn and everything suddenly comes into place. All of her unhappiness stems not from her surroundings but the other way around. She then sends her husband packing, and starts quite literally watering her lawn. Soon enough her entire demeanor changes; she no longer bitter but instead genuinely happier herself and for those around her.

The grass is a metaphor obviously. It’s not like watering your lawn is the recipe for happiness. What if you don’t have a lawn; are you doomed forever? No. It’s just that happy people take care of their surroundings. Whether it’s keeping your grass green, your kitchen clean or your bed made; whether it’s keeping good people in your life while getting rid of those that bring you down, you’re planting roots for your own happiness. Technically this isn’t even my lawn; I just live here. I do intend on treating it like my own though; it’ll get green in no time because I’m happy, and my backyard should reflect that.