The Wonders of the World

My clients are among the most difficult to please. No matter what I do or say, no matter how many exhausting hours I work doing their bidding, thanks and praise are in short supply. This is especially true when they first come to me, they are the most needy then. It takes a great deal of time and effort working with them to figure out their wants and desires and how best to help them. They have no value for my personal life and privacy and tend to complain about their situation at all hours of the day and night. It’s a difficult learning curve, but eventually I come to understand their personality and what helps them the most and in turn they come to understand my boundaries. Work becomes a little easier, though each client will at times try to test those boundaries again or will come to me with unrealistic requests that can never be met. Of course they always moan when I inform them their request can not happen or is too dangerous or difficult to achieve. Oh the complaints that come in and the cries to fire me and find someone else who is far better than I.

Those days are heart wrenching when I’ve put so much into helping them, the sleepless nights thinking and planning for them, and all they can do is complain about one unachievable demand. It’s on those days I am most thankful for my coworkers. I have one who works alongside me and supports me in my decisions, gives me much needed praise and encouragement. His talents and perspectives are different and unique from mine which helps my clients and myself gain a more diverse experience.

Other coworkers work remotely taking phone calls, FaceTime, or zoom to either talk to my clients and help ease their concerns or listen to my rants about all the crazy things they do, the trials and hardships they put me through. They offer suggestions and words of advice for how to work with each other.

My coworker and I have spent countless hours taking our clients on grand adventures from the awe inspiring Arctic tundra, to the majestic Appalachian Mountains, from gorgeous Canadian Lakes to mysterious southern swamps, from great tall pines sparkling with snow to endless desert sands scattered with cacti, from the marvelous waterfalls in deep canyons to the pristine beaches of the oceans. They have listened to the mighty moose and wolf of the north and chased the tiny frogs and lightning bugs of the south; they’ve viewed the great grizzly in the woods and stood among small lizards on scorching hot rock. They have seen the sunset on wide open plains and watched it sink below high pointed peaks. They have walked in the clouds and swam in the rivers those clouds feed. They have gazed upon some of the tallest snow covered mountains in the world and climbed around in massive deep caverns with their impressive underground formations. They have felt the heat from steaming active volcanoes and the cold of pure glacial ice. They have smelled the salty sea air and the mountain conifers sweet sap. They have tasted the delicacies of fine restaurants and the delicious yet questionable road side food truck cuisine. They have searched for favorite treats in little mom and pop stores and scoured hillsides for berries plucked fresh from the earth. They have been dazzled by the neon lights of large cities and amazed by the millions of twinkling lights in a cloudless night sky.

With all these adventures great or small we ensure their travel and safety, provide food and a comfortable place to sleep. We give them outfit suggestions suitable for each location. We make sure they learn about each place and gain a better understanding of its history and the importance of keeping it preserved for the future. We teach, we guide, we answer questions, and spark the imagination.

All this for an occasional pat on the back and mumbled thank you. In rare times we receive a hug of appreciation and a much desired compliment of “You are the best!”

Yes, this job is the hardest I have ever experienced. There are certainly times I wish I’d never stepped into the position, times I want to flee and hide from my clients.

But, in all honesty I’d not change my job for all the money in the world. There is no way I could ever give up my clients no matter how demanding and ungrateful they can be at times. It is the little moments that keep me going strong, as I watch them learn something new, find joy in different experiences, reach a new goal, and a simple smile or laugh.

Someday when they are ready they will take their steps away from me, find their own coworker and deal with their own clients. I’ll be a phone call away to listen to their trials to speak words of wisdom and bring comfort to them and their clients.

Yes, of all the jobs I’ve done, the one titled Mother has been the most challenging and the most rewarding. I love my “coworker” dearly and together we do our best to teach our "clients" right from wrong, to be kind and loving to all, and to explore and love the beauty this world holds. Of all the wonders I have seen in this world my children are the most magnificent. I may not change the world, but perhaps someday my kids will.

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