I was traveling and needed to find a laundromat. Getting coffee at McDonald's, I spied a laundromat across the parking lot and drove over to get some much-needed washing done.

A lady in khaki shorts and a coral top stood out front.

“Have you ever been here before?” she asked me warily.

Oh, no, I thought. Not one of THOSE laundromats. The kind people warn you about – dimly lit, with gritty floors covered in dryer sheets and sticky substances spilled on the washers?

“It’s the cleanest laundromat I have ever been in,” she said, her eyes widening.

And she was absolutely right. I walked in and a woman who worked there greeted me. She was wearing an apron and pushing a laundry cart full of cleaning supplies.

It turned out she never stopped cleaning, except to greet people as they came in – in both English and Spanish – and to help them fold blankets.

She was this charming, smiling presence who turned a boring laundromat into an ad hoc community center. Everyone talked to everyone. She knew everyone. I could see she took incredible pride in her work. It might have been just a laundromat, but it was HER laundromat during the hours she was there.

That day, because the other lady who worked there was out sick, she was working 12 hours, and she wasn’t at all mad about it.

When I left, I thanked her and gave her a $5 tip. A small gesture. I just wanted her to know I saw her and how hard she worked. She shook my hand and thanked me in return, and her hand was as rough and workworn as a field worker’s.

She inspired me so much. Her pride and love flowed from her so naturally. We walk among angels.