Dear Caregivers, You’re Appreciated
Our story will start when you message me after you see my ad looking for a new PA. I’m not sure why you will respond to my ad, but I’m glad you do. Maybe it will be because my ad intrigued you in a way others don’t, because I’m young, or you think I’m someone you can relate to. Lemme tell you, I put a lot of effort into that ad. Anyway, we will probably text for a bit and then if I feel like you are a good fit, we’ll meet.
As I write this, I realize how awfully similar this sounds to how a first date would go. When we meet, we’ll talk a little bit, shoot the breeze, chit chat, whatever you wanna call it. Then shit gets real and we get into the specifics of the job. After that we decide if we want to move forward to the next steps, which would be training.
For the sake of this blog post, I’m gonna cut right to when you start working with me. It’ll be awkward at first, it always is. It’s hard to let a stranger into your home and to have to let them see you in your most vulnerable state. But after a few weeks, we won’t feel like strangers anymore. We’ll get comfortable with each other and things won’t be so weird anymore. And if you’re lucky, we may even become friends. Believe me, that does not happen often.
The thing with working with me is that after a while, it might not feel like a job. I mean that in a good way. I try my best to make working with me a comfortable and enjoyable environment. Most of the people that work with me tell me that they have fun when they’re with me, which is honestly my goal. I don’t want anyone to be miserable when they’re working. Cuz then I’ll be miserable too, and that’s just not a good time lol.
But, at the end of the day, this is still a job and I expect you to treat it with the same respect as any other job. Yes, I may be really cool and laid back and chill. But, I still have to act like your boss when I need to. When something is not going smoothly or if I notice something can be done better or a different way, I will have to say something to correct it. And it’s not because you’ve done anything wrong or that I’m mad at you. That’s just how it is. It’s hard managing a whole team of PAs and having other people basically help you run your own life. I’m not complaining - that’s just the nature of the beast.
When you work with me, you’ll come to realize that I’m not that much different than you. I’m just a person trying to live my life. I have emotions, I have feelings, I have opinions, just like everyone else. I try to always have a positive attitude, but sometimes I have bad days where I’m not always so happy and cheery, and days where I just don’t feel like dealing with other people. And that’s okay because everyone is entitled to have bad days. It’s human nature. But just know that my bad days and bad moods won’t be because of you.
It takes a special kind of person to do this job. Someone who is caring, and selfless, and compassionate. Knowing I need to rely on others for almost every aspect of my life is frustrating, and at times humiliating. But, knowing I have people I CAN rely on makes my life worth living. And for that, I will always appreciate you.
xoxo,
me <3