Making an Impact in Unexpected Places

Babysitting and being a nanny are interesting things. I have done both or have considered myself both at different times. For me personally it was a reflection of age that probably shifted the title. I think most of the time it is a reflection of the amount of care and time provided to a family. 

I came across this piece on Slate that really got me thinking this week about the role of a nanny in a child's life and the role I played in families I babysat for over the years. The author Jordan Teicher wrote about a series being done on NYC nannies and the relationships they have with the children and families in which they work. I found it fascinating for many reasons but the biggest one of all being there is a part of me that could relate so well to some of the comments the nannies made about their families. 

• Gemma said "she feels like part of the family but doesn’t want to because she knows she has to leave one day."
• Ernestine said: "she misses the children when she moves on."

As someone who considers babysitting her first career, I could relate so well to what these women were saying. I know we care for children for different reasons but the end result is the same. Even though you may not try, you become attached to a family and to the children. In many ways sometimes you become part of the family. But just as children grow and do not need a nanny anymore, in my case I also had to grow up myself, go to college and move away. I think so often about all the kids I have babysat over the years. Most of them were old enough to remember me or I still see them periodically. Thanks to technology I keep up with several of them through facebook or instagram.

There is still a difference though. 

In many ways it is the difference from once being involved in their lives in person on a daily basis to now watching as more of a spectator. In several cases the kids I babysat were so small they wouldn't remember me today but I still very much remember them. 

But then I let my mind wander a little more and think beyond to all the people a person encounters in their life. Some are there for a lifetime and some are there only briefly. But everyone plays a part in weaving the tapestry of your life. Gregg and I have had some "life has come full circle" moments lately and it has left me thinking a lot about it. Thinking about everyone from my past, relationships that have changed and people I have yet to meet who will play a huge role in my future. It is amazing how it all intertwines to position us exactly where we are supposed to be today. 

For the kids I babysat, I was a part of their story. No matter how brief or long it was, I was there. I can only hope that whether they remember me or not, I left a positive mark on them. It is one of the benefits of the job no one tells you about I guess. The impact you can make on someone and the impact they can make on you, even if it is only for a short while. But then maybe that is one of the benefits of our everyday life that people easily forget about- no matter how big or how small, everyday you make an impact on someone.