We Don't Realize How Good We Have It

I was reminded today to be thankful for what I have.  I was working at Hy-Vee when two women, a mom and daughter, came up to customer service.  They wanted to purchase money orders.  The mom said that she needed to have the money orders in her hand before she was giving the daughter any money.  Well, we need the cash before we can print the money orders.  This caused a major scene between the two.  The daughter said, "It's my money, give it to me now!"  The mother said, "I'm leaving!"  She didn't get out before the daughter ran after her.  They were arguing in front of everyone in the store until an employee who knew the daughter asked them to take it outside.  It wasn't long before the two returned.  This time the mother gave my co-worker over $1,000 to purchase money orders.  After they received them, the daughter asked her mother for the rest of her money.  The mother again refused.  The daughter then called the police.  In the end I believe the mother gave the daughter her money and left her at the store.  The daughter took a straight shot to the liquor department of the store upon reentering the store.

I have seen the daughter in the store before.  One night she came in the liquor department when I was covering a break.  She came up to the counter and said, "I want something quick and cheap."  I showed her the cheapest liquor behind the counter.  She ended up buying some vodka for $4.69.  It is obvious to me that the daughter was an alcoholic and/or drug abuser and the mother was trying to save her.  It was a hard love approach.  The mother did not yell.  It was the daughter who made the scene.  At the counter the daughter said to her mother, "I'm never going to be able to show my face in this store again."  She was the problem not the mother.

It makes me wonder how people get this way.  What happened in their lives that made them this way?  Did they lose a child?  Did they lose their love of their life?  I would love to hear this woman's story.  It just makes me so thankful that my life is not like this.  So thankful for "normalcy" in my life.  We take our lives for granted.  It takes an event for us to stand back and look at ourselves.  Why does it take a tragedy for this to happen?  Love your family.  Tell them often.  Hug and kiss them every day.