FollowToday is a happy Monday indeed — because Maria, our part-time helper, is finally back! After being away for almost a year, it feels so good to see her again. She had taken time off during her pregnancy and returned to Indonesia to give birth to her second baby. And now, after months of waiting, she’s back with us — and I couldn’t be more relieved.
Maria is not just a helper; she’s truly like a member of our family. Having worked with us for 13 years, she knows our home, our habits, and our preferences inside out. The kind of trust and comfort she brings is something I deeply cherish.
During her absence, I had to call in my backup part-time helper, F, to help around the house. While I’m grateful for the help, I’ll be honest — F’s visits were stressful for me. She has a tendency to cut corners, and unless I inspect her work thoroughly, things often get left half-done. Just last week, I asked her to clean the air cond filters and she insisted they were “still clean” — when they clearly weren’t!
That said, I still had to ask F to come once every two weeks just to clean the ceiling fans, stand fans, and windows — all the chores that require climbing and stretching that I find too stressful to do myself. I don’t mind scrubbing the bathrooms or wiping the floor, but climbing up to clean ceiling fans? That’s a no for me!
But now that Maria is back, everything feels right again. Today, while she was busy at home, I finally had the chance to go out for a peaceful long brisk walk and jog — something I haven’t done in a while. I came home to a clean and refreshed space, just like old times.
It’s funny how something as simple as having the right help can bring such a sense of peace. So here’s to fresh starts, clean homes, and familiar faces returning. Welcome back, Maria — we missed you more than words can say!
Happy Monday, everyone!
I made minced pork patties today. I used a punnet of Berkcious minced pork (antibiotic and hormone-free pork) and seasoned it with pepper, soy sauce, a little sesame seed oil, Teriyaki sauce, onion powder, and some minced garlic. I popped the patties into the air-fryer and cooked at 200C for 15 minutes. They were delish!
No. of times viewed = 137
I’m glad you have your helper back though part of me wonders if she had to leave her baby behind. On the one hand I realize she has to work to support her family too. In the US, a first world country, shall we say, the norm is 6 weeks for maternity leave. Here in Canada, we get 12 months, with the option of another 6 months. Can also be shared with spouse as in “paternity leave”, 5 weeks I believe.
Hi Chris
It’s very common for Indonesian helpers to leave their babies behind while they return to their employers after giving birth. She did the same with her eldest son (now about 4yo). Her MIL (only a few years older than me!) helps takes care of her kids, plus other grandkids. They’re very poor back in the village in Indonesia and have no choice but to do this to earn money and send home 🙁
Wow, 12 months of maternity leave in Canada, that’s fantastic and commendable!