Au Pair: Alina Jaekel from Germany
Host Family: Powers Family in Texas
Here we were again—June 2010, about to welcome the third au pair into our family. Our second au pair was about to leave our family after what had been a great year. As I was driving to the airport to pick up our new au pair Alina, my emotions were mixed—what was I to expect from the “new girl”? What would she be like? Would she even like us?
I was lost in my own world, but as I stood at the baggage claim, I saw her approaching. First her feet, then her bag, and then her big smile. She was here. I welcomed her with open arms, and all of my apprehension followed the thunderstorm out of Dallas that night.
It was only about one week in when John and I were lying in bed talking about the day and how it went with Alina. I was hesitant to talk to John about something, but I knew that it was something that he would probably agree with. "You know, this is different than in years past, I am already feeling that when Alina leaves, it is going to be traumatic for our family." The way the girls had bonded with her, the respect she gave to us and our household, and the loving discipline she bestowed on the children was something that we felt was magical. We knew that Alina was right. We loved her already.
The weeks quickly turned into months. Alina is truly my friend. How can that be? A 19-year old and a 34-year old from other countries can be friends? I would confide in her as though I had known her my whole life and it had only been five months.
When John suddenly lost sight in his right eye, life as we knew it changed in an instant. I was numb with pain, confusion and anger about a seemingly unfair twist of fate. During that fateful week of the diagnosis, Alina did everything she needed to without being asked. She just stepped in and made dinner for the girls, cleaned up and got them ready for bed as I was trying to deal with the cards I was just dealt. I remember sitting on the couch with tears streaming down my face thanking her for her extra efforts. She looked at me while she was cleaning a pot and said, "When you told me about this job, you told me that we were going to be a team. The way I see it is that one member of the team is down, and I am just doing what I am supposed to do."
Our Christmas gift was a hand-written letter from her explaining her experience in America, similar to what I have written here. She explained what she truly admired and loved about us. She sees that everything we do is for our children, and it was a wonderful gift to have someone recognize and support us.
As her gift to us, she gave us an overnight stay while she would watch the kids - in her free time. Why did she do that? Because she knows that the gift of time—time for ourselves; without the kids—is the most precious gift she can give us. Is it the most convenient Christmas Gift she could have given us? No, she could have purchased a gift that would have required much less effort. But because Alina cares so deeply about our family, she searched in her heart for the gift that would mean the most to us. That’s how genuine Alina is.
There are so many more examples I could cite here. Like when Alina made 50 cupcakes from scratch for my daughter’s birthday party “just because”. Or the times that Alina cooks for us on her own time after a long day of watching the kids—not because I ask her to, but because she genuinely wants to do something nice for our family. The lantern Alina crafted with my older daughter Annika to celebrate St. Martin’s Day (a Germany holiday with a lantern parade) was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. And what other au pair spends her own time volunteering at church sorting Angel Tree presents for underprivileged kids?
So I am not sure what "Au Pair of the Year" is supposed to mean. Does it mean that the parents have the ability to work more? Does it mean that the Au Pair is an exceptional student? Does it mean that the children are safe and comfortable with her? I am not sure what it is supposed to mean. All I know is that the connection that we have with Alina really only comes once in a lifetime. She is more than an Au Pair to us. She is truly our family. Alina has changed our lives and our family will not be the same without her. I guess that that is my definition of "Au Pair of the Year."
I was lost in my own world, but as I stood at the baggage claim, I saw her approaching. First her feet, then her bag, and then her big smile. She was here. I welcomed her with open arms, and all of my apprehension followed the thunderstorm out of Dallas that night.
It was only about one week in when John and I were lying in bed talking about the day and how it went with Alina. I was hesitant to talk to John about something, but I knew that it was something that he would probably agree with. "You know, this is different than in years past, I am already feeling that when Alina leaves, it is going to be traumatic for our family." The way the girls had bonded with her, the respect she gave to us and our household, and the loving discipline she bestowed on the children was something that we felt was magical. We knew that Alina was right. We loved her already.
The weeks quickly turned into months. Alina is truly my friend. How can that be? A 19-year old and a 34-year old from other countries can be friends? I would confide in her as though I had known her my whole life and it had only been five months.
When John suddenly lost sight in his right eye, life as we knew it changed in an instant. I was numb with pain, confusion and anger about a seemingly unfair twist of fate. During that fateful week of the diagnosis, Alina did everything she needed to without being asked. She just stepped in and made dinner for the girls, cleaned up and got them ready for bed as I was trying to deal with the cards I was just dealt. I remember sitting on the couch with tears streaming down my face thanking her for her extra efforts. She looked at me while she was cleaning a pot and said, "When you told me about this job, you told me that we were going to be a team. The way I see it is that one member of the team is down, and I am just doing what I am supposed to do."
Our Christmas gift was a hand-written letter from her explaining her experience in America, similar to what I have written here. She explained what she truly admired and loved about us. She sees that everything we do is for our children, and it was a wonderful gift to have someone recognize and support us.
As her gift to us, she gave us an overnight stay while she would watch the kids - in her free time. Why did she do that? Because she knows that the gift of time—time for ourselves; without the kids—is the most precious gift she can give us. Is it the most convenient Christmas Gift she could have given us? No, she could have purchased a gift that would have required much less effort. But because Alina cares so deeply about our family, she searched in her heart for the gift that would mean the most to us. That’s how genuine Alina is.
There are so many more examples I could cite here. Like when Alina made 50 cupcakes from scratch for my daughter’s birthday party “just because”. Or the times that Alina cooks for us on her own time after a long day of watching the kids—not because I ask her to, but because she genuinely wants to do something nice for our family. The lantern Alina crafted with my older daughter Annika to celebrate St. Martin’s Day (a Germany holiday with a lantern parade) was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. And what other au pair spends her own time volunteering at church sorting Angel Tree presents for underprivileged kids?
So I am not sure what "Au Pair of the Year" is supposed to mean. Does it mean that the parents have the ability to work more? Does it mean that the Au Pair is an exceptional student? Does it mean that the children are safe and comfortable with her? I am not sure what it is supposed to mean. All I know is that the connection that we have with Alina really only comes once in a lifetime. She is more than an Au Pair to us. She is truly our family. Alina has changed our lives and our family will not be the same without her. I guess that that is my definition of "Au Pair of the Year."