Let me tell you about Joy.
Not the emotion, dear reader, but the young woman I only know as “Joy”.
I presume that is her name although I have no doubt her full Cebuano name is something unintelligible this American native could utter.
By whatever name you call her, Joy has entered and changed our lives for the better.
Joy is our live-in “nanny”. The Chinese moniker we use is “Ayi” or pronounced “eye – ee” but however you call her, she had earned our family’s respect tenfold.
Joy does the work of three Mothers and we would be hard-pressed to replace her.
Joy, 21, hails from a rural Philippine province and was part of an initial duo who have assisted our family since the soon-to-be four-year-old old twins, Nicholas and Antoinette, were born.
Now flying solo, Joy runs our household with an iron fist. Sleeping in the same room as the children, Joy is up at the crack of dawn, taking “cat naps” during the hot afternoons and put the children to sleep at night. She is their constant companion, cleaning up not only the messes they make but their poopy diapers – several times a day.
She organizes their room.
Plans their day – every day.
Takes the laundry in to be professional cleaned.
Sweeps the house, washes and put away the kitchen dishes, does the laundry and cooks for herself and for the children.
No doubt I have left something out.
The lists of tasks she has taken upon to herself is amazing.
Yes, she is hired help – although we all call her “Ate Joy” – Joy is compensated well for her dedication and hard work.
All three of our children have taken to Joy as if she were their big sister and in their minds, she is Ate Joy.
I tried to speak with her several times, but Joy seems to be a stubborn lot, rarely ever saying anything in return.
I love my children but I cannot think of a more challenging assignment than having to listen to Nicholas, Antoinette now Jeffrey Jr. scream at me endless every day.
Yet Joy absorbs all of it without flinching.
Joy finds her private solace when the children take their afternoon naps … and clearly appreciates it when she can stretch out on our sofa when all three little ones doze off for their siestas.
We know we are lucky to have Ate Joy in our lives as other families are not as blessed. There are far too many horror stories about abusive nannies and hired help.
We are thankful for Ate Joy and we consider her as part of our family.
