Even before the opening ceremonies, the Olympics produced one of those special moments that only the Olympics can give us.

One of the best men’s soccer teams in Europe, Portugal, was defeated 4-2 by Iraq, a team that had to play on practice fields offered by places like Japan and Germany rather than at home because … well, you know why.

These were players who had to be flown to Greece by the Australian Air Force, but arrived in time to be heroes. They defeated Costa Rica 2-0 in their second game on Sunday, qualifying for the quarterfinals.

None of this does anything to make Iraq more safe than it was a week ago, of course. Winning a game won’t stop a war or deter a terrorist or heal a wound.

All it will do is make the world seem a little brighter. And sometimes that means a lot.

You’ll probably never have it as tough as the people in Iraq do, but you still might appreciate how a diversion like a soccer team winning a game or two is welcome. When the U.S. hockey team won a gold medal in 1980, it helped Americans feel better during a tough time — even though it meant nothing in the grand scheme of world politics.

On a much smaller and more mundane scale, the same principle is why you should never underestimate the importance of your job. People look at retirement as a panacea, but fail to appreciate how sometimes a job can be a welcome diversion when life is tough.

We all need things to build our spirit, just as sports teams sometimes help their countries. Sometimes work fills that role. So take a minute before you retire, and reflect: Will you have something capable of lifting your spirits? If not, do a little more thinking before you rush to the exit.