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In her weekly newsletter, Women24 editor Lili Radloff talks about her relationship with the woman who cleans her house. We asked our readers to share some of their thoughts.
This is what they had to say:
Reader 1
Hi Lili,
From what you have written you have a beautiful relationship, and one that is far more important than a clean house.
My X has been with me for 13 years, and is part of my family. She, too, is not the greatest cleaner, but has a mischievous sense of humour, and is the most reliable, generous, and easy going person I know, and because of it, and her circumstances, probably earns the highest hourly domestic cleaning wage in the country!
Like so many like her, she has single-handedly raised a family and put all her children though matric. She now helps to do the same for her grandchildren. Eight years ago her health failed, but ARV’s brought her back to health, and I hope that she will live for another 45 years. She is the salt of the earth.
Love and messy houses.
Barbra
Reader 2
Hi,
The Lady that cleans my house is an amazing lady from Zimbabwe.
B has left her family in Zimbabwe and has to go home every 3 months to pay the rent, school fees, etc. It’s a 15 hour Bus trip both ways, and not cheap either, Unfortunately B doesn’t have an option, and does this to survive, B works at 6 different homes 6 days a week.
She is also studying to better herself and enable her to improve her lifestyle. I shudder to think how her tired she must be. Working between 7 – 9 hours a day, coping with transport ,and then to still study. I am in awe of this exceptional Lady.
She works for me 1 day a week, but that once a week is everything to me. I can honestly say I wouldn’t manage without B, even though I am single, and my flat is not really messy, she just seems to straighten my life out.
I rush out in the morning, and leave her to sort out my home. Whatever needs doing, B does it, whether it includes mending, changing curtains, been mommy to the strays I manage to foster, B is there.
I salute B, and every other woman out there who run our homes, whether it be one day a week or everyday. They are gems.
From: Anonymous
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This is what they had to say:
Reader 1
Hi Lili,
From what you have written you have a beautiful relationship, and one that is far more important than a clean house.
My X has been with me for 13 years, and is part of my family. She, too, is not the greatest cleaner, but has a mischievous sense of humour, and is the most reliable, generous, and easy going person I know, and because of it, and her circumstances, probably earns the highest hourly domestic cleaning wage in the country!
Like so many like her, she has single-handedly raised a family and put all her children though matric. She now helps to do the same for her grandchildren. Eight years ago her health failed, but ARV’s brought her back to health, and I hope that she will live for another 45 years. She is the salt of the earth.
Love and messy houses.
Barbra
Reader 2
Hi,
The Lady that cleans my house is an amazing lady from Zimbabwe.
B has left her family in Zimbabwe and has to go home every 3 months to pay the rent, school fees, etc. It’s a 15 hour Bus trip both ways, and not cheap either, Unfortunately B doesn’t have an option, and does this to survive, B works at 6 different homes 6 days a week.
She is also studying to better herself and enable her to improve her lifestyle. I shudder to think how her tired she must be. Working between 7 – 9 hours a day, coping with transport ,and then to still study. I am in awe of this exceptional Lady.
She works for me 1 day a week, but that once a week is everything to me. I can honestly say I wouldn’t manage without B, even though I am single, and my flat is not really messy, she just seems to straighten my life out.
I rush out in the morning, and leave her to sort out my home. Whatever needs doing, B does it, whether it includes mending, changing curtains, been mommy to the strays I manage to foster, B is there.
I salute B, and every other woman out there who run our homes, whether it be one day a week or everyday. They are gems.
From: Anonymous
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us Facebook.
