The "Yaya" who made a difference...

The past week has been emotionally stressful for me.  My kids "yaya" or Ate Arlene as we fondly called her, who has been with us for the past 7 years is going home to start a family of her own.  I'm grateful though that even when we found out she was pregnant, and despite her soon to be husbands please of her to come home, she opted to stay with us and help out with the kids.  

For a working mom like me, it is very important to have an extra hand to help out around the house as well as  take care of Andre and Micah.  Arlene was a blessing to us.  She came and helped take care of Andre when I resumed my post graduate internship.  She was also there when I had Micah, and took care of her when I had to leave for Cebu to review for the board exams.  My kids practically grew up around her, she was like family to us.  I never have to worry about leaving the kids because I was sure they were in good hands.  I have proven that in a few occasions when they were left in the house and we were at work, just like during that earthquake in October.  She never panicked even when she was scared herself.  She would always call me when she was not sure of something, especially if it involved the kids.  What's so special about her, is that she takes care of the kids not only because it's her job, but because she truly loves them like they were her own.  All the mommies at school would tell me I was lucky to have Arlene around because they could see how protective she was with the kids.  That is why I know she would make a good mother to her baby.  

I honestly feel at a loss. I have been used to having her around, and surely the kids would miss her. I would laugh at myself because I used to wish she would be an old maid and stay with us for the rest of our lives.    I know it was selfish of me to wish that, but I'm sure either Andre or Micah would take care of her when she grows old because she was like a mother to them too.  But now I am faced with the reality that she would be leaving us and we would soon have to find a new "ate".  I just hope that whoever we find would come close to how good she was, especially with the kids.  

Thank you Ate, you are truly heaven sent.. we would surely miss you!