I'm Leaving My Wife Behind

My mom is a very wise woman for MANY reasons. For this instance, she would say often how she needs a wife.  Married for nearly 43 years, my parents juggled 4 kids, work, carpool, soccer, hebrew school, proms, camp, college applications, life stuff with minimal help.  My mom would often not have enough hands to do everything she needed, eyes to watch everyone, or be everywhere she wanted. She needed a wife, someone to take care of the things so she could be where she really needed to be.  

Come to China and you too can have a wife, or as we call her Ayi (literally translated as Auntie but meaning nanny).  The Ayi's become apart of your family. They do the cleaning, the ironing, the bed making, the dusting, the dishes, the cooking and the childcare.  They do it all and happily.  

Some would say I am on "vacation" while we are here in Shanghai.  I merely feel I have a wife.  Ayi helps me in a way that I can spend time one-on-one with my kids and make me feel safe and comfortable when she watches the kids;  all while happily mopping and ironing and cooking.  It truly is amazing.  

I am leaving for the airport soon to travel to the States for the summer with the kids and I am leaving my wife and my husband behind.