someone always has it worse

Last week I was working at the store. One of my favorite associate's, let's call her Ea was discussing some issues she was having with her Air Force hubby. He's away for the month and doing a very common mistake, over spending the money. She was going to be visiting him over the weekend and she was trying to figure out the best way to approach him on this subject without losing her temper. While we were talking...

A group of women came in, a mother, her daughter, her sister, her niece, and her grandson. These women were a tight little unit. They came through the store moving as one. The niece came up and said she had called ahead for some special help from the store manager.
When I approached my store manager she flew out of the back room and rushed around helping this pack. Suits, dresses, pants, and dress shirts were gathered and arranged in the fitting rooms.

After 20 minutes of futile efforts by my co-managers... they backed off the band of women, and left them be. They came to the front of the store and finally told my associate and I what was happening.

The daughter was young, in her early 20s. She had her son with her less than a year old and she had her mother and her cousin with her to help her shop for funeral clothing. She was picking up her husband's body  from the airport the next day. He was being flown home from Afghanistan. He was young, 21 or 22. He and one of his fellow soldiers were killed a few days before. He was shot in the leg, and the bullet hit a major artery. He left behind a beautiful wife, and an incredibly young son, whom will remember his father by the pictures and stories his family will tell him.

After the women left, Ea looked at me and said, "my situation is so small in comparison to hers and yours. My husband, may be gone, but he is safe, and he will come home to me."

...Someone always has it worse. My situation may be painful and the end of my world right now, but it is nothing in comparison to the way this family feels and the hurt and pain of knowing your husband who loved you and his country will never see you again, never hold you again, and never see his son grow up.

Perspective.

Someone Always has it worse than you.