Today, at work, I was serving someone who I presumed was a mother with 7 children. The children were pretty rowdy, running around, laughing, teasing each other, asking their mother for toy cameras etc. Kids being kids.

I felt quite sympathetic for the mother who amongst the chaos was attempting to push a trolley laden with toys (she obviously had already succumbed to their pleas and took a turn into Toys R Us) while trying to keep all seven children at bay.

She came to pay for a USB stick. My conversation with her went like this.

Me: The little ones must keep you busy
Lady: Tell me about it, but they're actually not all mine
Me: Oh really?
Lady: Yes, the three little ones over there are my friend's. She's ill with cancer
Me: Oh my.....that's incredibly nice of you to look after them for her! (I pass over the bag with the usb stick) I really hope she gets well soon.

The Lady looks at me with a downward glance "It doesn't look like she will. It's terminal. I've adopted her kids".

I take life too seriously sometimes. Things will come eventually if I try hard enough. I need to stay optimistic. Life can only be lived in light.