I sat in my car, crying, screaming, upset with the world.

It was one of those days that nothing seemed to be going right. As a dramatic creature by nature, my freak out was simple because of this hatred towards Minnesota winters and their misery. Not only was my car parallel parked in, squeezed as tight as possible, but the light 10 inches of snow and ice that dusted our city didn’t help my Jetta and it’s spinning wheels.

Reverse, drive, shovel snow, cry. The process soon became all too repetitive and getting me nowhere. So, there I sat, angry at the world and unable to move.

“Baby girl, will you let me help you?” a man’s voice stole my attention. He appeared out of nowhere, shovel and tools in hand. I gazed at him through teary eyes and shook my head yes.

I started to get out of my car to help but he stopped before I could even fully open my door. “No, no. Little girl, you stay in where it’s warm. Turn on some good tunes and wipe away those tears.”

I instantly felt a sense of calm overcome my exhausted mind. I did as I was told and sat back in my car. Tears still rolling, I studied this man who so kindly braved the harsh Minnesota winter to help me. He was tall with a medium build. He had dark skin and sunken in eyes. His clothes were worn but he appeared to have a heart of gold. When he laughed I could see he was missing teeth on his left side. He worked tirelessly at my car, shoveling and scraping at the seeming endless supply of ice and snow that had buried me in.

“You almost ready to go?” he asked me. I shook my head and rolled down my window. He went to the rear of my car and instructed me so that we wouldn’t collide with the two cars that had me so tightly packed in. He gave a little nudge at the back as I lightly stepped on the gas. I was moving! He had freed me. He quickly changed positions to the front of my car and without missing a beat, lifted the front of my car over the car blocking my way. I was free!

I parked my car and waited for him to come over to the passenger side window.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you” I said, as tears started filling up my eyes again.

“Someone is always watching over you, baby girl. God bless.”

I lost it. Tears started falling uncontrollably from my eyes. I reached into my purse and tried to hand him some crumpled up dollar bills.  He started to tear up and declining any money simply stating, “I don’t need this.”

With that he asked me to promise him no more tears today and sent me on my way.

As I drove away, I couldn’t help but think of my Grandma. She had passed away almost a year ago. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her and talk to her. I knew in an instant that man was an angel. An angel that was sent from her to me, to help get me through. I looked up to the skies and smiled for a moment, thanking her for always being with me.