DEAR NANNIES
| image by sydney clawson |
I’ve been without my help for 13 days. I know that sounds ridiculous. Poor me. Well, these past 13 days have been riveting. Full of plenty of ups and downs, bloody lips, snotty noses, more poops than I changed the first week of their lives and I’ve also happened to have fallen in love with my babies all over again. I’ve also fallen in love with the nanny.
To be clear I’ve not fallen in love with her, but rather the art form of nannying. You see, all you nannies out there, I love you. I think the world of you. I’m not bullshitting either. You’re wonderful and amazing. And you literally have the lives of our worlds in your hands. Their lives. Whether it’s one day a week, or 5, it’s a big deal. No bullshit. I love you. And thank you.
When I was pregnant with my twins, one of my best friends (and a very well organized business woman) said to me, “first things first, you need help. Period. Hire help.” She knew I would have my hands full with 3 kids, no family and a very busy traveling husband. But she also knows how to delegate duties, and how to create an efficient environment for running a business. Running this ship was not going to be an easy feat, and running it like a business, meaning having some sort of order to it, was paramount.
And so, typically, I shrugged off the idea of help. Ya know, I’m a hero and I can handle it. Surely I can run this ship with little to no help. I’m a warrior! I got this. Breastfeed twins? Check. Send daughter off to Pre-K? Check. Stay blissfully happy in my marriage? Check. Stay creative and keep writing? Check. Well, no. Actually, not at all. And when I sank to the bottom of the ocean after the twins were almost 1, my mother picked me up off the floor and convinced me to hire some regular help. I texted my friend that week and she had one word for me. ”Finally.”
You nannies are nothing short of wonderful. I know we, (your bosses), are not perfect people and we may annoy you from time to time and you may annoy us from time to time. But today, none of that matters. Today is about saluting you and the beautiful art form of nannying. Your work is art. And we are indebted to you for life. Your gentle “do you need anything?” while I breastfed twins on the sofa and my nipples were hanging out for you and the pool man to see, was incredibly appreciated. Your willingness to see me disheveled morning after morning and perhaps lose my shit week after week despite your hourly efforts was so needed. Your monotonous toddler routine doesn’t faze you even though you’ve built the same block tower 1000 times this year. Your attitude and ability to make my babies smile while I write words down into a computer or clean my floors is a Godsend. And I’m a better mother for it. I’m not a total bitch. I’m not so tired that I can’t see straight. Thank you for that. Thank you for tidying up the kitchen while they nap so I don’t have to because we both know I will have to after dinner. And that extra 15 minutes means I get a shower. Or maybe a conversation with the husband. Thank you for complimenting my date night couture and hair blow out when I walk out the door for what feels like the Oscars. Thank you for not freaking out when someone falls down and not texting me 100 times so I feel pressured to come home. Thank you for keeping watch over the most important human beings in our universe. We don’t take this lightly. In fact, to all you nannies whether this is your part time gig, your full time gig or your extra summer cash, all of us mothers who are in totally different parts of our lives, we appreciate you more than you know. And we bless the ground you walk on, for you are walking a very important path when you are with our children.
