I used to think marriage was supposed to be a source of comfort, a source of joy, companionship to fight the whirls of life. When I married my husband 5 years ago, I thought I was going to get it all. He was the love of my life and it was one of the happiest days of my life. Over the course of years, our relationship began to soar. After the kids, it almost became an unsaid rule that David was going to provide for our family, give us a roof over our head, give our kids the best education, and a great life, in turn, I was to stay quiet about his infidelity.
I accepted it all as my fate, what if my husband didn’t love me anymore, I had my kids, they needed me. I devoted my life to my kids and making the house a sanctuary for my family. David somehow respected this; he never brought anything related to his extramarital affairs at home.
At the dinner table we were always this perfect family, he gladly ate what I cooked for him and thanked me wholeheartedly afterward. It almost felt like he was trying to compensate for what he has put me through.
I became the living definition of an industrious homemaker and a devoted mother. On brunches and soccer practice lunches other women in the neighborhood envy me, for how invested I was in my family and how perfect our life was. I always feared what would happen if they knew what was happening all these years. Would their envy turn into pity or would they laugh over my misery?
All these years I thought keeping myself busy and turning away from reality was a sustainable solution. I thought if I won’t let myself think about it, it would’ve been as though it never happened. I realized how wrong I was when my kids grew up; they didn’t need me as much now, they had their own lives and could take care of themselves for the most part.
Human beings are an amalgamation of emotions, with us, it’s never just one emotion, there are hundreds of feelings flowing through us, like currents in the ocean. Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Fear our emotions are like notifications, notifying us of everything wrong in our life. Telling us about our deepest desires, about what we are missing, what’s important to us. My first breakthrough with my emotions happened after my kids grew up. I recognized my cravings for recognition and respect.
The dark reality that I had wasted my whole life and had no other recognition than being the wife of David and mother of two, hit me hard. I had graduated with a degree in chemistry and wanted to pursue a career. My marriage didn’t allow me that but I never complained or regretted my decision. But at the age of 35, with very few chances of any career advancement, I was left alone in a pit of sorrow and disappointment, by my family.
As I said emotions are notifications to our inner self, desires, and wants and what we’re lacking, they also manifest themselves in physical form. The realization that I was one hundred percent replaceable made me connect with my inner self. It wasn’t about love, David cheated on me multiple times because he didn’t respect me and why he didn’t respect me? Because I didn’t respect myself, deep down inside I thought of myself as unworthy and a failure.
There was nothing I could much about it now, so I decided to get a new hobby. Putting my chemistry skills to good use I decided to make bath bombs at home. Basic composition for bath bombs is extremely simple; Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Natural Fragrance, Natural Dye, Alcohol, and some optional ingredients like shea butter, essential oils, and CBD.
I made the first batch of bath bombs and used my baking utensils to make them into cute shapes. I added flower petals to these as well. After I was finished making the bath bombs I kept on staring at the pile I had created. It was way more than I could use at home, so I decided to gift some to neighbors and friends. For gift boxes, I went to the nearest dollar store and packed the bath bombs into them. The next morning, I put the boxes into the backseat of my minivan and delivered them to the neighbors and my friends Emily and Jessica. I felt good about myself after so long like I was capable of something, I felt accomplished.
Next week Emily called me telling me how great my bath bombs were and if I could make some more for her. I was walking my dog crystal in the neighborhood when two of my neighbors said the same thing; how great the bath bombs were or if I could make some more.
I came home thinking about it when Jessica came to visit me. I needed a friend to discuss and I told her about the reception of bath bombs.
“So why don’t you start entrepreneurship from home?”
Me, an entrepreneur, not in my wildest dreams I had thought that my skills were worthy of turning into a business idea.
“I will help you; you don’t have to do this alone”. Jessica is a chemist and she took the responsibility of getting the ingredients. The only thing left was a name, logo, and Custom Bath Bomb Packaging (which I got at a wholesale price from a amazing packaging company). My bath bombs were an instant hit in the neighborhood, at first it was just friends and family buying. I posted about my business on Instagram and there was no looking back after that. And this is how I started my brand of custom bath bombs in my late 30s. You know how they say it’s never too late to chase your dreams, I am a living example of it.