I have always relied on the kindness of strangers.

Holee CRAP!

Trying to breathe, here. It's been a crazy batshiat sort of day, running last minute errands, packing up, cleaning the house, leaving honey-do lists, fielding a zillion phone calls at the exact same moment as trying to negotiate the peace between feuding little peoples...

I had two fabulous babysitters (twins) and after having a little incredibly decadent me-time, came back somewhat refreshed and optimistic, and drove them home. Emma and Sarah are gorgeous gazelles of girls, and it was a tight squeeze in the Matrix. I'm aware I'm doing the nervous-talking-thing and would mandate at least a hypomanic label. Perhaps a poster child for the Monkey Mind, but get them home without incident.

Or so I thought.

Within two seconds of coming into the house, the phone is ringing. A woman tells me she is sitting outside my house, after just having found my wallet and contents strewn all over the road.

Yep, left it on the roof of the car while buckling X in, had a brief thought of "That's kinda dumb." It stayed on out of the driveway, down the hill, until I took a left onto the River Road. This beautiful woman, Carol, saw something flying, thought to herself "That's not right..." and pulled over, stopping traffic while picking up my vacation money, assorted receipts, ID, credit cards etc.

She is my personal Jesus. I tried to give her my emergency $50 bill but she declined repeatedly. She did, however, let me give her a hug and accepted my profound thanks. I cried.

As she was leaving, she let me know that there was also a message on my cell phone.

OH ... yeah. Huh? Not quite sinking in, until: YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!

It takes about a minute before the panic comes back, full force. The cell phone was on top of the wallet, on top of the car. I called it - no answer and it went to VM soon enough to make me think it was no longer operational. Good news/ bad news, right? I'm furiously searching up and down the block, asking passersby. I come back to the house, have a voice mail on the home phone. I'm doing the default Catholic chant of "Tony, Tony - look around. Something's lost that can't be found." as I'm going through my options for a cross country road trip without a cell phone... The voice mail is from my husband, no dice. So I call it again - and a woman answers. She was en route to our local neighborhood restaurant, found the phone in three pieces, and was just going through the phone book - determined to find me. She asks for my address, refuses my offer to buy her dinner, and will drop it off on her way home. My other Good Samaritan: Sarah.

Did I mention we're leaving on a road trip? Me and the kids? Half way cross the continent? In less than 12 hours?

The near-catastrophe has me laughing and crying simultaneously. On an adrenaline high that makes me think I could stroke out any minute. I may be losing it shortly... so I thought I would put this all down immediately as my last will and testament to the kindness of strangers.

God bless you, Carol and Sarah. Literally, you have been my personal saviors on a hellish journey of mommy-mind. I am truly humbled by the above-and-beyond, and heretofore promise to Pay It Forward.