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For one family in Singapore, the bond between the employer and the domestic helper is profound and extra special.
In an email on Feb. 26, Olivia Teo shares how her family helper of 18 years, Mailyn Dulay, has been a source of unwavering support in her life.
Teo gushes about how her helper even went the extra mile most recently to surprise the family with tickets to "Disney on Ice".
"I don't know how to bless my helper, other than to publicly thank her. She's so kind and giving, she is like a sister I never had."
Bought four 'Disney on Ice' tickets for her employer
Mailyn bought four tickets, which cost S$170 in total, for the upcoming show in March.
Although Teo had wanted to pay Mailyn back, Mailyn had refused.
Image via Olivia Teo
Teo went on to explain that while Mailyn had initially mentioned the treat verbally, she had immediately rejected it. Teo had then gone ahead to book the tickets for the four of them with her card.
However, Mailyn later transferred the full ticket cost to her via PayNow, something Teo only realised much later.
And when Teo wanted to return the amount to Mailyn, the latter had only insisted on paying, even saying that she would just keep paying Teo back till she stopped.
A pillar of support
Speaking to Mothership, Teo shares that Mailyn first joined the family in 2004, after Teo had her first child.
Mailyn currently helps to look after Teo's two kids – her elder daughter, 18, who has autism, and her youngest, who is six – on top of day-to-day household duties.
Image courtesy of Olivia Teo.
Teo recalls how Mailyn even voluntarily chose not to go back to the Philippines in 2006, even though she'd satisfied her two-year contract back then, because that was when Teo's eldest was diagnosed with autism.
Teo was working full-time and Mailyn postponed her trip by three years to help take care of Teo's daughter.
"She finally went for her home leave in 2009, five years after she started working. By then, my eldest was more manageable and compliant," Teo adds.
Always generous and giving
This is not the first time Mailyn has bought presents for Teo and her family.
In fact, Mailyn buys birthday and Christmas gifts for the family every year. She once bought Teo's husband Uniqlo T-shirts for his birthday and planned a surprised cake delivery on Teo's birthday.
Mailyn with Teo and her family. Image courtesy of Olivia Teo.
Teo highlighted that on her 39th birthday, Mailyn bought a ticket to Universal Studios Singapore for Teo, after knowing that Teo couldn't bear to buy the "expensive ticket" for herself.
As testament to how close they are, Teo shares that Mailyn also often gives her "fashion advice", knowing that she has "no fashion sense", and even buys clothes for her employer sometimes, when she feels Teo needs a bit of a wardrobe change.
When Teo experienced financial challenges some years ago, Mailyn was also the one to reassure Teo, and even told her employer not to worry about giving her an extra bonus.
"And this is on top of getting us gifts from Philippines when she's back from home leave. Knowing my love for ilo ilo bananas, she lugged back a suitcase full of her garden-grown bananas to Singapore."
Teo explains that although Mailyn is unmarried and does not have kids, she has singlehandedly sent all her nieces to university, and supports both her parents and sisters financially.
"I sometimes wonder how she does this and still blesses us with so much."
A relationship that goes both ways
According to Teo, Mailyn had shared that the motivation for her actions stems from her gratitude towards the family for being kind to her.
"She said her generosity is her way of returning our kindness to us and showing her gratitude. Anyway, she hopes she can inspire other helpers to have more gratitude and be appreciative of kind employers. It goes both ways."
For Teo, it's hard to think of a life without Mailyn as she said, "Mailyn is very much like family to us. My girls absolutely adore her to bits and frankly, I don't even dare to think about her retirement. Everyone adores her."
Mailyn, if you are reading this, here's a shout out for you from Teo:
"We would like Mailyn to know how blessed we are and grateful to her. She is truly god-sent. Thank you for choosing to stay with us Mailyn, even though with your experience, you could choose employers who can pay you more. We hope to continue creating happy and cherished memories with you."
Top images courtesy of Olivia Teo and via Disney on Ice/Facebook