Envy

Four years ago, when we were still in the thick of ballet and I was just another 'ballet mom', I was sitting together with two other 'ballet moms' at a cafe table in the foyer of the Rose Wagner Theater in Salt Lake City, chatting while we waited for our dancers to finish up a dress rehearsal.  One of the other moms was enumerating the many hassles of moving from a larger house to a smaller one now that they no longer needed 10,000 sq. ft. and she was finding it hard to decide which furniture to keep and which furniture would look best in the new 5,000 sq. ft. house she was moving to.

Of course, I just sat there and smiled and nodded my head.  I wasn't about to point out that at the time of the conversation, I was living in a 1,000 sq. ft. house, that my furniture was ratty and old, or that I had to trek through unfinished basement areas to get to my bedroom.  I was definitely NOT a typical 'ballet mom'.  Just so you know, 9 times out of 10, a ballerina comes from an affluent family.  My daughter was the 10th ballerina.

I will admit now that I envied that woman.  She was nice.  She was pretty.  She was a VERY well dressed stay-at-home mom who seemed to have it all.

A year later she was dead.

We were all very shocked.  It was so sudden and unexpected.  The funeral was beautiful and we were very sad for her younger girls, who now had to grow up without a mother. 

Her name was Michele MacNeill.  We were told at the time that she was recovering from knee surgery when a blood clot traveled to her brain and instantly killed her.  That turned out to be a lie.

Over the course of the years following her death, all sorts of disturbing information came to light about her husband.  I won't bother writing about all of it here, but if you are curious, here is a link to the KSL reporter's investigations into Martin MacNeill.  The Utah County Attorney's office is now considering charging Martin MacNeill with his wife's death!  The woman I knew!

As I read all the past history of their marriage that is now coming to light, I realized (yet again) that looks can be deceiving.  Would I want to live in a huge house, have lots of money while married to a monster?  OF COURSE NOT!

I don't get bitten by the green bug of envy very often, but when I do, I am going to think of Michele.

I am so grateful for my little home and especially for my husband, who may be quite rough around the edges, but is still a great guy!