“Will you have enough gas to get home from school, Mom?” Wren asked from the backseat. I had just been wondering aloud if I would have enough time to stop for gas before work or enough gas to make it to work. One thing I forgot to do over the weekend.

“Of course,” I reassured her. “Don’t you worry.” I secretly calmed my own anxieties. I’m usually the type of driver that fills up before the tank dips below a quarter of a tank.

Later that afternoon, as I climbed into my car,following an afternoon faculty meeting, the gas gauge reminded me that this task remained undone.

As I pulled into the gas station, close to 5 o’clock, I kicked myself for putting this off. Already a later night home, I would be even later picking up the girls. What tantrums would be waiting for me?

As I stood pumping gas, I watched a truck pull in to the adjacent pump. The man driving was laughing, his face full of joy. As his truck pulled closer, I noticed that his only passenger was a golden retriever, who also appeared to be smiling. Maybe he’s on the phone, I thought.

“I’m laughing because I pulled up to two pumps before this one that said ‘out of service.’ I thought this one was going to have the same sign. Fourteen pumps and I pulled into two that were not working. It’s so funny,” he laughed again as he shared his tale. 

He commented on the weather, “a beautiful fall day” before telling me that the season brought a lot of jobs. He helped to take care of his elderly parents yard along with the yards belonging to an uncle and an aunt. “I’m not a landscaper,” he explained. “But they gave mea good upbringing.”

I smiled.

As I replaced the gas pump and climbed back into my car, I said, “have a nice afternoon.”

“You too,” he replied. “Be safe.”