I’ve learned throughout my colorful life that you can resolve any problem with education, acceptance, and grit. Be it a compromised server, a toxic relationship, or a fox obliterating your flock, you must educate yourself on the issue, accept what happened, and persevere with the right amount of passion and pride. Knowing what I know about problem-solving, I opted to apply my formula to my latest calamity: The Tale of the Broken Dryer.

It was a regular day at the Bennett Bungalow. Two children and two dogs create an above average amount of laundry. I was on my third and final load for the day, which held my daughter’s favorite pink blanket. She was very much looking forward to holding its toasty warm and floral scented security-supplying softness. The dryer dings to notify us that it’s done its job. She jumps off the couch and runs to the dryer, opens the door and exclaims, “Mom, it’s still wet. And it’s cold.”

At first, I think she’s joking, but then I jump up to confirm her statement as true. I turn the dryer on again and give it about five minutes to warm up. It doesn’t. This happened to us about a year ago with our previous dryer, so I assumed we had a similar issue: a busted heating element. I turn to Google and YouTube to confirm my suspicions and reach out to a friend’s mechanically inclined husband to confirm my diagnosis. I send him the model number. He graciously provides me with a link to the part I need to order, and he tells me to let him know when it’s in so he can come hook it up.

But this is my problem, so I’d like to solve it if I can. I don’t intend on waving my white flag and waiting to be saved. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way. Education, acceptance, and grit. I watched a few YouTube videos showing how the part can be replaced. I accepted that the dryer was broken. For about a week, I hung my clothes around the house to dry while I waited for the part to arrive. And once it was delivered, I homed in on the grit part. I grabbed my tool bag, poured a glass of wine, and got to work.

After about one hour of tinkering, fully impressed with my mechanical prowess (thanks YouTubers!), I plugged in the dryer, crossed my fingers, and came to the realization that: It worked.

My dryer was fixed.

Do you have a problem? Please know that no matter how hard it may seem to overcome, it can be. All you need is some education, acceptance, and grit. And if you’re having a hard time identifying the problem, ask for help! We weren’t born to live in silos. We were born to work together.

And while I’m at it, thank you, Casey McGrath (the aforementioned friend’s mechanically inclined husband).