Faith in Humanity Restored by Carl

Today I was in a FLURRY (freaking large hurry) getting everyone out the door. We barely had time to drop off kids on time when we all piled in the car. These mornings are reoccuring in our house. I usually make it out of Pjs, not this morning.

Got to the first destination Thing 1's preschool.
Drop off complete.
Right around the block..... stutter.... stutter....Car dead.
I pulled it into a "parking spot" meaning someone's driveway :(
And grabbed Thing2 and the Fish and walked myself to the corner market. Where I proceeded to call my husband on the phone 15 times. No answer.

I walked into the convience store the kind I had walked to as a child just to get candy like "poprocks" and I asked where the nearest gas station was. There was a gentle man behind the counter and one coming through the door. The man behind the counter wanted to help but couldn't so I asked if he had a gas can. The man entering the mini mart asked if he could help.

"I can take you to get gas"

This worried me but not too much. So I suggested I go move my car and if he could get the gas can filled I could meet him at the van around the corner. I went to give him money only he had gotten in his car.

I walked the kids back around the block and found the owner of the house ready to tow my vehicle (same as I would have if I was going to work and a big red van was completely blocking my way). I explained and two people helped me push my car out of the way.

Then I see the man with the gas can. He filled the tank with the gallon and told me where the nearest gas station was.

I asked him his name.
He said Carl. Then he told me to go the gas attendant and to "Tell them Carl sent you"
I looked at him funny and then thanked him profusely.

I started my van and went to the gas station to put more gas in. I went into the attendant and said sheepishly. I am supposed to tell you "Carl sent me"

The gas attendant looked at me like I had said "here can I buy this gum." totally straight faced. Then asked if I was with someone. I told him no I just had my two kids in the van. He smiled and said this twenty is for you to pay for gas.

Thank you to Carl, you probably will never know how much this meant to me at that exact moment. I cried myself to my daughter's preschool and dropped her off.