A Pet Peeve

At least...

The phrase "at least" is one of my pet peeves. And it seems to be coming up a lot lately. The conversations go a bit like this:

I had a really long afternoon of class.
At least you didn't have to do this.

Moving home isn't my first choice, but it's cheaper, familiar, and safe.
At least you have a place to go.

I'm still waiting to hear back from that church.
At least you have a prospect out there.

All of these "at least" responses makes me want to scream in reply my own "at least" back...
At least you don't have a chronic illness that makes sitting on hard pews for a long time so painful!
At least you have a ring on your finger and a husband in your future!
At least you have a full-time employed spouse!

I try to resist the urge to scream and try also to catch myself from ever making these "at least" comparison statements. The phrase irks me to the core because of many things: it minimizes a person's feelings, it makes sweeping assumptions, it is so often selfish, it turns conversation into a one-uping, I'm better (or worse) off than you competition, and it makes unnecessary comparisons between unique individuals each with their own set of gifts, concerns, and issues. We could easily "at least" one another on and on and on, until we have no more desire to talk or feel really bad about ourselves or until we've had the last word. Not very productive, or very loving conversation, is it?

I'd really be ok with "at least" being stricken from our language. Unlikely, but I can dream.