What I Learned About My Husband During Graduate School

This picture is a perfect representation of my marriage. In case you weren’t sure, Chris is supposed to represent the figure standing at the bottom lifting me up. Essentially, I could not have done any of this if it were not for my husband supporting me. He made graduation possible in so many different ways.

Let me tell you a little bit about my husband. One of the things I grew to recognize is that my husband doesn’t delineate responsibilities down traditional lines. I love being the “keeper” of the house, but my husband was always willing to pitch in when I could not complete all the duties around our home.

He stayed home from work to watch sick kids if I had an exam I could not miss. He helped with the shuttling duties by dropping girls off, picking them up, taking them to dance, etc. He helped pack lunches. He cooked dinner on the days I had night classes and he pitched in on the days I was too exhausted to do it on my own. If I got behind on laundry, he waited until he was in dire straits to mention he could really use some clean clothes. He was a great help around the house.

Another thing I discovered about Chris is that he is my biggest cheerleader and a huge emotional support. He believed I could make it through when I doubted myself. He told me he was proud of the work I was doing. He encouraged me to go a little easier on myself. He reminded me this was temporary. He bought me dark chocolate and caffeine to get through the late nights studying (I think this falls under the category of emotional support!).

Finally, I realized that my husband is my protector. Chris knows that I am driven and will caution me when I am about to exceed what I can handle. God has given him wisdom to see my limitations and to allow me to push myself, but not to go past what is healthy for me. Not only does he provide leadership in this area, he also leads our family spiritually in so many other areas.

Oh, and one more thing, he completed his Master of Civil Engineering during this last month. He had completed all his course work previously, but spent many late nights preparing his final project/presentation as well as completing two extremely long take-home exams and defending his knowledge orally. He is the hardest working man I know and I feel extremely blessed to call him "husband."