Living the Dream

By Howard Cadmus, Esq.
Many people that you encounter in your day-to-day life, when asked how things are going, answer with the popular phrase, “Living the Dream!” Some folks mean it in an ironic or even sarcastic way, expressing that everything is not going the way they had imagined or hoped that it would. I use it in a way that expresses exactly what I mean.
I am lucky enough to get up every single day, happy and healthy, drive to my ice cream and chocolate shop, with a comic book and toy store located on the second floor, and work hard for 9-10 hours serving some of the best customers in the world. But the best part, the thing that makes it so special, the cherry on top, is that I get to work with my sons.
My wife and I didn’t have children until around our 40s. We spent the other decades of our lives going to school, college, law school, and then building our businesses. Because of this delayed start, and because we are always acutely aware of how precious and unpredictable life can be, we try to spend as much time with our two sons Carter (9) and Cole (5) as we can. This brief article is from my point of view only, as I can’t speak for my wife, or her experience, but I felt compelled to share mine as I am asked almost daily what it is like working with my boys.
It is almost certain that, at one time or another, you have read about father and son businesses in books, or seen them pictured in movies and television. But, to actually get to experience it is indescribable. Having my sons with me some days after school, mornings on the weekends, and for a little bit most days of the summer, is great. It’s like having the best built-in coworkers you could ask for. It has also allowed us to teach our sons things like hard work, determination, manners, how to clean, how to interact with people, and the list goes on.
Watching them learn how to navigate different, and sometimes difficult, situations, and seeing them employ reasoning and problem-solving skills to overcome obstacles, even at this young age, is great. It is a unique experience to be there to observe their growth and to have them come up with thoughts on how to grow the business, product ideas, ways to streamline things, and their concept of modernization.
Our boys are young, so we know that things will certainly change as they grow and mature, and their wants, hopes, dreams, and aspirations might change. We know they will likely want to blaze their own path or create their own dream shops, but until then, I am enjoying every single shift, every new flavor idea come to life, and every holiday spent working side by side with my boys. I am truly “Living the Dream.”
Howard Cadmus is an attorney, law professor, and owner of Sweet Jenny’s Ice Cream and Chocolates, and 1811 Comics, in Williamsville. Visit https://sweetjennyswilliamsville.com to learn more.