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.