You can learn a lot about a person by what you find in their car.

Today I sat in the backseat of a colleague’s car on the way to a lunch meeting. I didn’t know much about her beforehand, but I learned a lot about her today. The first thing I noticed was that there wasn’t much in her car – it was pretty clean. No kids. There was dog hair. She must be an animal lover. And there were Mardi Gras beads. Now I know that she is a Saints football fan.

My teenage daughter’s car is crammed with stuff. If she was ever stranded in her car, I think she could survive for weeks living off the things in her car. There are clothes, shoes and plenty of snacks. There are even pom poms – still there long after the end of football season. Without even meeting her, if you saw her car, you would know that she was a busy teenager, juggling school, cheering, friends and having fun.

Like most working mothers, I practically live in my car. You will find a briefcase full of work that needs to be done after the kids go to bed. There is hand-sanitizer, diapers and wipes – just in case an emergency diaper change is required. And because I spend so much time at the soccer fields, you will always find several folding chairs, a blanket and a spare pair of socks.

When I know that a client might ride with me to go to lunch or a meeting, I clean-out my car. But no matter how careful I am, there is always one thing in the backseat of my car that gives me away . . . goldfish cracker crumbs. What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t have a few crumbs in the backseat of my car?