You learn something new every day.

This morning the alarm went off at 6 a.m.  I turned on the light and saw a full-on blizzard outside.  It’s day 22 of my rental van and I had to be in a city about 40 minutes away for an early morning hockey tournament game.

My 14-year-old son had filled up my windshield washer fluid within the last week and I should have watched him do it.  I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never filled it up and I don’t know how.  As we drove through the slush and snow on the highway, my fluid ran out.  I didn’t know if it was frozen or empty as the dash light didn’t come on.

I dropped my 12-year-old son off at the rink and made my way to a gas station.  I bought a container of fluid and figured I would ask one of the hockey dads to help me fill it up.  That’s when I saw a lady filling up her windshield washer fluid.  I asked if she could show me how to fill mine.  She said sure.

She opened the hood and looked into the engine.  She said it looked like there was some fluid in it, but when she started pouring my new container in, it emptied into the tank.  I must have been completely out.

I offered to buy her a coffee but she said no thanks.  She said her son played for the city’s semi-pro hockey team and the rink our tournament was at was their home rink.  She wished me luck and went on her way.

Now I know how to fill my own windshield washer fluid, I met a lovely lady who reminded me that there are always people willing to help, and we won our game!  On to the semi-finals tomorrow.  And the dealer called to say my van is ready to be picked up with a rebuilt transmission.

What a wonderful way to end a spectacular year.  Grateful for blessings and hopeful for all the amazing things on the horizon.  The best is yet to come.

As Irish actor Cyril Cusack once said, “If you asked me for my New Year Resolution, it would be to find out who I am.”

Here’s to finding out who we are, learning new things, counting our blessings, and remembering that we are exactly where we are supposed to be.