Serendipitous moments surround us! Recognize them, embrace them and reflect on them.

On a very hot and sloooow run in the desert this morning, I heard this song at the very moment that I was passing the yellow flower wall. I was flooded with emotions and IDEAS and had to snap a pic (see 5/9/21 Instagram post @laundryroomculvercity). It was the inspiration for this blog post.

A few people have suggested that I delve into my divorce a little bit more in this blog. I’m not quite ready for that yet but once my divorce is final, I will. Nor am I ready to talk about dating after marriage. What I would like to talk about is how divorce shapes children and how deeply it weighs on me that my kids are going through this.

A couple weeks ago it was “bring your son or daughter to work” day. I remember as a child my mom used to take me to her office in Oakland where she worked for a lawyers office as an assistant. This is where I learned all the intricacies of running a small business  — to use a copy machine, a typewriter, how to do filing, the basics of a personal computer and so much more. But it wasn’t just one day a year that she brought me, it was quite often. 

And now I find myself bringing my kids to the laundromat on a regular basis. Just like me when I was young, they are learning the ins and outs of being a business owner. They go to Restaurant Depot, Jetro and Sudsy Vending and Costco with me to shop for supplies. They load the cart, they load the car and then they unload it. They go with me to the salons where we have commercial accounts to pick up and drop off towels. At the laundromat, they put the chips, soda, Gatorade, water bottles, chocolate bars and candy in the vending machines. They unload the quarters from the washers and dryers and then dump them in the coin change machine.  The buckets get heavy and this is a lot of work!
Trust me, they do NOT like it and moan and groan the whole time but it is part of the program that I run. This is how we lead by example! Showing rather than telling. 

I talk to them about income and expenses… all in simplified, age-appropriate terms. For example, they get all excited when the laundromat brings in $5,000 in quarters for one week. Then I explain to them that money will pay for a portion of the monthly lease, and the $5,000 that we bring in next week will pay for the water, gas, electric and sewage bills, and the $5,000 the following week will cover payroll, etc. It is quite eye-opening and educational.

Customer service is one of the most important aspects of a business as far as I’m concerned. I like to get to know customers by name and treat everyone with kindness and respect. Brody and Bronson are sponges and see how I interact with these customers and how we handle situations that may get a little sticky. A woman that recently I came in was screaming and cussing at me because one of the top-loaders did not have hot enough water. After she left, I took this teachable moment to explain to them that there was a lot going on in that situation. She might have been having a bad day, she might have been frustrated about other things, to listen and treat people with compassion but cussing at someone is not an appropriate way to handle things. The most important thing is to offer to solve the problem. 

I do my best to keep the work lighthearted and fun whenever possible. You’ve probably seen some of my posts of them getting pushed around and carts, racing around playing tag and simply being boys! They have been involved with almost every aspect of planning the ribbon-cutting and grand opening celebration. From picking out sandwiches to music that the DJ will play to the color of the balloon assortment, they are just as excited as me! I mean… planning a party is FUN!!!

Then on the weekends, we play hard! After all, what good is hard work if you can’t get out there and experience all that this wonderful world has to offer? It is about showing them balance between family, friends, work, play and making memories.

Which brings me back to the song, “Cover Me In Sunshine.” Every second along the way, I shower them with affection. We are a very cuddly threesome and I am going to soak it up because they won’t be sitting in my lap and twirling my hair when they’re teenagers. 

They are my motivation. Everything I do every day is because of them! 

Happy Mother’s Day to my mom, mother-in-law, aunts, cousins, friends, and all of the other incredible moms in my and the boys’ lives!

I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do… Pink & Willow Sage Heart:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AIa3kdKFhg
https://music.apple.com/us/album/cover-me-in-sunshine/1552739369?i=1552739372