Today is the last legal working day for our current au pair, Ann, a wonderful young woman from Thailand who for two years has lived with our family and taken care of our children. When she arrived to our family our youngest was not quite five months old, and hardly able to sit on his own. Our middle child was in diapers. Our oldest was in preschool. I was on internship, and my wife was teaching with the informal title ABD – All But Dissertation.
In the two years that she cared for us – and I say for us, for her caring, her work, and her support was more than just for our children – our youngest has learned to crawl, then walk and talk. Our 3 year-old child is reading letters thanks to Ann, and eager to learn so much more. Our oldest is about to complete first grade. I've been ordained and began to work in a new church, Jessicah defended her doctoral dissertation, and we moved to a new home and new community.
And then there are the little things – her willingness to work a few extra hours when an emergency came up, her wonderful jewelry-repair skills, the smell of Thai food that filled the house regularly, and the way that she would somehow always know when I forgot something and text me or come running outside with the forgotten item (as she did on Sunday when I nearly left home without my alb and stole for an afternoon service).
All this is to say that Ann has been there with us, at times carrying more than any wage-earning caregiver should be asked to carry, helping us through some amazing transitions. She has been an amazing blessing and support to us. We will miss her incredibly.
With tears in our eyes, we say Goodbye, Miss Ann. We love you.
The Lutheran Zephyr 