My daughter asked why I always sort the laundry into three piles but wash everything together on cold

I told her it's called strategic sorting.

I separate the darks, the lights, and the "I'll deal with that later" pile with the precision of a seasoned professional. I stand there, shirt by shirt, like I'm organizing a tiny textile library.

Punchline

Then I shove it all in on cold, add whatever detergent's nearest, and call it a load of character-building.

The piles aren't for the washer, honey — they're so I feel like I have a system.