Take care of your Caretaker...

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. We have a new Caretaker for the last twelve months.. Our verbal contract is that he will look after the land so that no one comes and trash it or cut down trees without permission and I asked him that maybe he spend only 3 days a month to tidy up ..In return, he can have all the produce of the land .. and I give him 1,000 pesos a month which he was very happy... From the land, he gets coconuts, pilinuts, and other produce like jackfruit, bananas, etc.. and he can plant whatever will benefit him.. and that big leaves called anahaw that he can use to make roof for their house.. I sent him money via remittance that he collected at the bank..When we arrived back there last Feb.. We were so amazed at how the land was so well looked after.. We didn't have to spend time cleaning like we used to.. My husband and I were touched at how he saved that cash we sent him to buy the bike that he is so proud of and is looking after like a baby..lol..He paid 7,000 pesos in cash for it.. He did more than what we expected of him to do.. And we told him we are very grateful.. I decided that he should have a bank account and apply for social security and for Philhealth so that he can have something to fall back on to.. I told him the importance of saving, and that I would pay for his monthly contribution to SSS.. He was very happy and very grateful for the opportunity..We went through some slightly painful process of gathering his documents..lol.. He needed a postal ID and voter's ID to open a bank account.. And to get a postal ID, he needed two IDs (birth certificate and residence certificate).. And it took three weeks to get his postal ID.. He was anxious but on our last week over there, he got his postal ID.. At the bank, he wasn't sure of what to do .. He was nervous because at 38, it's his first time to experience this ..The teller said to him that he was lucky that we are doing it for him.. She has never encountered anyone who opened a bank account for their Caretakers.. To me, it wasn't a big deal because I have done that with the two previous ones and the caretaker of my father's land.. And even sent them more money than what they deserve.. All because I wanted to see them lifted up from desperate poverty.. I was asked by some people why I trust again after I was taken advantaged of , betrayed and disrespected by the ones before him for more than ten years.. I always say that when I trust, I trust with all my heart because that's the only way I know how to trust.. And to find out if people can be trusted, you have to trust them wholeheartedly.. If they break your trust repeatedly, they should be out of your life for good .. And that's why, my siblings over there , and their children are no longer in my life.. I want nothing to do with any of them... If I employ a house helper when the time comes that we settle over there, I will do the same for her.. Because it's one way of showing how to treat others like you want to be treated.. I would like to think that if it was me who is in their situation, I would also be given a chance to prepare for my "rainy days"... But if they end up abusing my generosity like the others.. I won't have anything to do with them either... How do you take care of your Caretaker?.. Thanks for your time .. Bess.. ..