Wednesday, June 27, 2012

God bless my housekeeper Phiwe!

My housekeeper Phiwe on the right and Nomiki, one of the ladies I've taught to cook, on the left. 
Five weeks of living and working in Europe has been a lesson in gratitude on so many fronts. Gratitude for my amazing husband, family and friends who fill my life with so much joy. Gratitude for being able to speak English in South Africa. I am finally understating how frustrating life must be for the millions of people in South Africa for whom English is not a mother tongue.

And today I am especially grateful for my fabulous, caring, loving housekeeper, Phiwe, who is not just my housekeeper but also my friend. In Europe house-help is a luxury afforded to only the wealthiest few. Most people have to manage their cooking, cleaning and laundry on top of their job, kids and social life...  I feel like I never stop cleaning. In my work and at home. It's non stop.

So my message for today is - be so very very grateful to the people who help you at home and at work. To those people who move so quietly through our lives making things clean, fresh and tidy around us and at such a low cost that most of us middle class South Africans can afford it.

2 comments:

  1. let it be known that Phiwe has been through an ungodly ordeal in terms of going to get her passport in Zim so she can officially marry her husband here. Had to loan R3000 to her and her son to go by bus which is 3 days one way and the first bus broke down on the way back and she missed her translux bus and they would not defer her ticket so she had to buy another.

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  2. showed Phiwe the post today, she almost cried with happiness and says she misses you!

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