Being a personal assistant means more than ticking boxes and answering emails. At its best, it means knowing someone well enough to catch the things they didn't even know were falling.
I've been lucky enough to have some truly wonderful clients over the years, but this client was super special— bubbly, warm, kind. The sort of person who lights up a room without even trying. Taking care of her wasn't a chore. It was a privilege.
She travelled overseas for work often, which meant her life back home needed someone to hold it steady while she was gone. That was my job — the admin, the logistics, the hundred little things that quietly keep a life running smoothly.
One of those things was her license disc.
I noticed it was coming up for renewal, sorted it without a second thought, and didn't mention it. It wasn't the kind of thing that needed fanfare. It just needed doing.
She came home, shook off the jet lag, and hit the road for a long road trip. She was pulled over by law enforcement. She pulled over, and in that split second, her stomach dropped. The license disc. Had she renewed it? She couldn't remember. In the blur of travel and work and life, it had completely slipped her mind.
And then she looked — and it was done. Renewed. Current. Perfect.
She was in the clear. No fine. No penalty. Nothing but relief washing over her on the side of that road.
I wasn't there in the car with her in that moment, but in a way, I was. That's what it means to truly have someone's back — not just when they ask, but before they ever know they needed you.
Those small moments means everything to me.