I rush home after work as I was late today than usual. I drop my bags and head straight to the kitchen to make a snack for my kids and a cup of tea for myself. As I put multiple utensils on the stove and get busy stirring this and that, my maid standing right behind me doing the dishes, turns around and announces that she needs a day off tomorrow. At that moment all I could do was throw my head back and groan, “ohhhh…but why? Oh please why?” At that remark she laughs out loud and says, “Amma, tomorrow my “magalir sangam” (Women’s welfare group) is planning a one day trip for all us ladies. Only women, no family members or kids allowed, she says”.
As she finishes her sentence, at that very moment, I stop feeling upset and feel a smile spreading across my face, my tiredness all forgotten for a while and I feel happy.
Happy for her, genuinely happy;
I stop worrying about my workload the next day, which is going to be hellish; (you can imagine what it would be like not to have your maid come on a weekday) But, I smile. My mood is uplifted instantly, thinking about her having a day of fun without having to work.
A day off in the real sense, as my lady here works in 6 to 7 house-holds every day, not to mention she has her own house and two kids to take care of. She rarely takes a day off and when she does it’s for something really important or unavoidable.
Another thing that really struck me was the reason she gave me for her leave. In this day and age when people would rather lie about something to get an easy way out, I found her honesty so refreshing.
We can learn so much from people around us. We can find role models in our daily life. Role models don’t have to be people who have accomplished great things in life. It need not always be Mahatma Gandhi or Mother Theresa. We don’t need lofty ideals; just practice plain ol’ simple virtue like honesty.
Yeah. And so, all I could hear myself saying to her as I handed over a cup of tea was, “Go on, enjoy yourself”. And when she was about to leave I couldn’t stop myself from giving her a little something so she could buy whatever she wanted to…maybe something to eat, maybe a souvenir or probably something for herself or her kids on her way back from the trip.
Cheers to all us women, trying to keep things up and running! You don’t have to take leave only when you are sick or have to attend to some work…You can take a break just for yourself.
You need that break!
And you deserve that break!
Take care!
Wow it was a lovely read Didi, loved it.
Thanks Kalai