Last week was seriously a doozy…and not in the best of ways.  I thought it was going to be a breeze considering I was only in the office for three days.  But, every day felt like an arduous climb.  I don’t know if my brain and spirit were frazzled because of the multiple tasks that were happening simultaneously, the interstate traffic, or the thawing of my frozen digits after waiting outside for almost an hour in the slug line (note to self…drive to work or refrain from staying at work late on the day of the National Christmas Tree Lighting).  I just know I’ve had better weeks.  But, the one thing I remember about the entire week that somehow made everything alright happened on my evening Metro commute on my last day of the grind.  The doors opened at the stop right before mine and a father and his two young children boarded.  I immediately stood up so he could have my seat since I was right by the door.  It was the least I could do considering he had his hands full with two small children and no stroller or extra help anywhere in sight.  As I re-positioned and the train jerked us all forward without much warning, I heard the father tell his daughter how nice it was for someone to offer their seat to them.  She looked at him in agreement in a way that only a toddler could and mouthed the words “thank you” in a tiny but boisterous voice in my direction.  My heart melted…instantly.  All week I hadn’t really felt like being excited about much of anything, but in a second, the gaiety of an innocently animated toddler made me smile.  There are times when the intricacies of life can be quite overbearing.  So, let me and a toddler be the one to tell you that there will always be a light (sometimes even in a little human form) at the end of the tunnel.  ::doors open..to a new week::