Today was especially bad. I got reamed over 5 accounts that were somehow or other left out of the fund switching. If the market drop yesterday is anything to go by, those 5 clients would be very unhappy people. 2 - 3\% isn't a numbers game when you're talking about handling millions.

My mentor handles $12 - 13 million alone. Looks like I can't even handle $5,000. Heh. Add to that my nose was still stuffed and my throat raw despite guzzling foul-tasting Chinese medicine. Thus it was with low spirits that I made my way home, earphones plugged in as usual to blast the world out and give me some peace to finish a chapter or two of the Da Vinci Code on the commute home.

I alighted at my station and as always, wrestled with the peak-hour crowd down the escalator and out through the ticket gantry. As I was striding along in my heels, I felt a small hand slip into mine. Startled, I looked down to see a lad not much older than my 2nd brother, who is 7.

Well, wrong Mommy.

He tugged lightly at my hand, all the while his lovely limpid eyes gazing into mine. His mother was more embarrassed than the lad was for taking a stranger's hand. She was about my height and like me, was dressed in a black suit and white shirt.

She apologised profusely while I laughed it off, telling her it was no problem. Then I turned back to the lad, who smiled at me. I felt as if God had bestowed His own smile upon me, to remind me that some things in life are ineffably precious.

The trusting way a child takes your hand and expects you to fight life's dragons for them.

Their smiles and laughter.

Their unconditional love.