This week, before I left town on business, I had to make sure the household was covered by our helpers. I laughed internally and shook my head. What would my 15 year old self say to the 32 year old man I am today? My father always made my brother and I work during the summers. The hotter, the more difficult the job the happier it made him. I thought I was getting a cushy job the summer before my senior year working for the city (he was on the city council) but somehow I got assigned to the waste water treatment plant. I spent my summer with the city's waste water. Seriously. I have worked since I was 15 years old when my mother would drive me to the golf course where I cleaned the fleet of golf carts for mostly idle rich. My favorite job was working for a couple with 33 acres and mule and a horse. I mowed, weeded, shoveled, chopped, and painted my way through triple digits.
However, today, my 32 year old self is performing a wealth transfer from our bank account to our dog sitters (we have two sets) our cleaning lady (she comes every week) our yard people (they come every week even in the winter), and the newest addition is that my husband's taxi driver is on call. He picks my husband up from the airport in an incognito Cadillac SRX. My husband sits in the front seat and does work while his taxi driver rushes him home. All of this is subsidized by our expense accounts, but still it takes a team of helpers (not counting the free help from our parents) to keep our life on track.
I don't know how I feel about that fact.
I think it's great. And all that work you did when you were a kid helps you compare and appreciate.... and it still is the foundation for what a hard worker you are. I don't tell you enough what a tremendous help you are to us. You don't expect thanks; you don't really even expect us to notice. But when you are in my house, it is like I all the people you hired are working for me free - and it's you & K. You & K, S & L are soooo dear, indescribably so.
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