Life can be amazing.

I was driving to work at the crack of dawn. It was a crisp, beautiful fall morning. Although I live in the city, my drive takes me past a stretch of highway that is desolate. A cemetery on one side of the road, trees bordering a neighborhood/strip mall on the other.

Pop.
Thug.
Thug.
Thug.

My tire had blown.

There I was, stranded on the side of the road. An eight month old in my back seat. A trunk FULL of crap. Cars whizzing by me...and OF COURSE the tire blew on the drivers side...so the cars that happened to whiz by were all of five feet from my back.

I knelt down, but couldn't get the bolt to loosen. When I stood up, I saw little man staring back at me, and I walked towards the curb and started to cry.

I felt defeated.
I felt alone.
I was scared.
I didn't know what to do.

I had called my work to let them know I'd be late. They gave me the highway helpers phone number...which is all fine and dandy, except for the fact that this happened DURING rush hour, and I was two miles AWAY from an actual highway. I called my dad, who basically responded with "what do you expect me to do?" as he was also at work.

Tears began to rush down my face.

As I sat in the front seat of my car, an object appeared in my rear view mirror. It was a man. He had stopped to help, and as hesitant as I initially was, I felt immediate relief. He told me to sit in my car. He changed my tire. He wouldn't accept a single cent from me. That day, he was my hero.

Human nature can be so powerful at times. I think back to that morning, over three years ago, and feel so blessed to have crossed paths with an individual who was selflessly caring and genuine.