domestic work.

Yes. For a number of years growing up my dad had a housekeeper come clean our house every other week. My dad always tells me that when he was growing up he decided that as soon as he had enough money to hire domestic help, he would. He wouldn't buy a nice car or a nice house, he would hire someone to clean up after him. And when he got more money, he would hire someone to make his meals for him. While the latter did not happen, the former did and for some odd years. Gabriela. Our house was never really messy because he never really had any furniture and my father would always make me clean my room before she came to clean it because he just wanted her to do the vacuuming and washing and not actually putting away my clothes and my father would seemingly complain every other week about the crappy job she did and yet when we moved to the new rental she followed us and when we moved to the other new rental she followed us and when we moved to other rental she followed us. And while I didn't interact with her too much (she always came while I was at school) I would see her on the occasional Wednesday off and we would make small talk. My dad always tried to go out to run errands when she came because he didn't want to get in her way but I know they talked often because he would tell me about her children and her husband and her life and honestly it seemed as though my dad took a liking to her (I mean he kept her for years so I would assume that anyway) because my dad really isn't a big people person. Unless he has to be. But he would give Gabriela a bag full of the clothes I didn't want because he figured it could help her out. And during the holidays he would give her a pretty large bonus. And we were by no means rich but my dad liked to have a clean house and he didn't like to clean the house. We moved up to LA last summer and after a few weeks living in another new rental, I remember him joking "I miss Gabriela." And I think he did. And I don't know if it was just him missing having someone clean our house or if he actually missed her as a person, but I do like to think of it being the latter.

My grandparents, on the other hand, have a great deal of money and have a housekeeper or live in maid or something. I feel like she's not there all the time but I also feel like whenever I come visit, she's there. Her name is Thelma and just last weekend I went over to their house for a large family dinner and my grandma thanked Thelma and referred to her as her "other daughter." And while I don't really know the whole situation there, I know my grandparents are both getting old and I know my grandma doesn't cook so I'd assume that they're both pretty reliant on Thelma.