The matriarchs of family-owned businesses are the glue that keeps both the family and the business together.
May is upon us again! Like most garden retailers, I have a love/hate relationship with the month of May. I love it because it is our BIG month. We talk about the busy season all year and here it is!
The hate part comes when it rains in May. There is little as depressing as seeing great sales potential washed away with the rain. Lost revenue from rainy May days is tough to make up.
And of course, there’s Mother’s Day! The single busiest weekend of the year (weather permitting). There’s nothing like the adrenaline rush of a busy Mother’s Day weekend.
Having been in the industry all my life, I too often forget the reason for Mother’s Day (no, not Hallmark’s reason). I’m wrapped up in the business Mother’s Day and forget about the holiday that is Mother’s Day — celebrating moms.
Where would this world be without moms?
When I think of mothers in my life, immediately six people come to my mind. My mom, my wife, my mother-in-law and my three sisters. All of these moms have had and continue to have a huge impact in my life.
My mom — what can I say? She is the ultimate mom. First, she’s put up with my dad for 51 years! If you know my dad — enough said. She has been there for me all my life, always supporting me in everything I have done. She has shown and taught me what unconditional love is.
She’s one of the most caring people in the world and has had a huge impact on my life and the person I am.
My wife is an amazing mom in her own right. I am truly blessed to have such a great mother for my kids. Anyone with kids knows that parenting is all about teamwork. I have the mom MVP on my team! Amy is sooo patient and would do anything for our kids, yet knows that as hard as it is, sometimes you have to step back and let them learn a lesson. She’s a perfect combination of undying and tough love.
My mother-in-law must be an amazing mom because she raised Amy. Every great mom had to learn from someone and Amy learned from her mother. Zena is an amazingly strong person, raising three girls on her own. I’m amazed at how she could work full time and be such a positive role model for her daughters. Beyond that, she’s welcomed me into the family with open arms.
My three sisters — Darcy, Tracy and Dorothy — are all older than me and have kids around my kids’ age. What a pleasure it has been to watch them parent and learn from them. They have raised some pretty darn cool nieces and nephews that I am very proud of!
I think mothers in this industry are a different breed — they’re cut from a little different cloth. With so many of the nurseries around being family owned, these mothers have to play multiple roles. Not only are they the loving, nurturing person that worries and cares for each child, but they’re also integral parts of the business and can even be found with their sleeves rolled up side by side everyone else working.
Frequently, they are the glue that keeps both the family and the business together.
This Mother’s Day, I salute not only the mothers in my life, but all the mothers in our industry! My life, and the nursery industry, wouldn’t be the same without you.
Cheers — and thank you, moms!
