Be Grateful for The Helpers Around You

All my life, I grew up with one or more household help. Seriously, being the youngest, I grew up with someone doing almost anything and everything for me. I’m fortunate I would say. I grew up with a family driver to take us to and from school and household maids to cook, clean, and do the laundry for us.

Then the big decision came when I need to move abroad tagging along my 2 and 5 years old daughters. The big challenge came. I have no one to rely on except for myself. I’ve got no nannies (we call them yaya in the Philippines) that would look after my little kids while I work. I learned to do everything. I learned how to cook (I know how to – but I’ve never been a full-time cook for my family since). Do the laundry --- which was quite easy because of the washing machines. I learned how to iron our clothes (which I hate most). And I learned to clean and keep everything in order. (I guess you’d agree that it would be impossible to keep everything in order when you have two toddlers). But I survived. I had 8 wonderful years abroad learning to become independent.

Now, I am home. I am back to the comforts of having someone do almost everything for me. Since I got back in 2007, I have a personal helper that wash our clothes, prepare my kids’ things, and keep everything in order. Honestly, I have never felt so grateful. She has been with me and my girls for three long years now. It saddens me to think that she needs to leave her home to help me raise my kids, while she has two younger sisters just having the same ages as my daughters. I have never treated her as a mere help. I have always treated her as part of my family. I would always joke about that we’ll grow old together.

I am thankful for my help, Inday. She’s the most reliable person I have ever met. She is very honest and she never complains. I have big plans for her. I want her to go back to school to get her own degree. I don’t want her to leave me and my daughters but I know time will come when she needs to go out and have her own family. I wish that day won’t come because I don’t know what to do without her. When I decided in 2007 to really make it on my own as a single parent, she had been there for me --- up to now.

I am grateful of Inday and I will forever be. Thank you Father God for giving me a help like her.