Today is the day I've waited for since well before we even got married. I got into this relationship knowing it was the Dr.'s goal to go to Med School, despite our advanced ages. At the time he had a low paying but highly connected job in a local hospital and the burden of paying the bills fell on my shoulders. Then after he left for med school 3 months after we were married, not only I was not just the primary breadwinner, I was the sole one. He left for school, I stayed home and earned money. Most couples our age were taking huge steps forward with houses and kids, we were going backwards, paring down expenses, getting student loans.
Through the years my company has had ups and downs just like any other company. I've always strived to place myself in positions that even in the ups and downs, were necessary. Job security was always my priority, sometimes it was tricky, but year to year I managed to hang in there.
Three years ago when he started his residency, some of the pressure slacked off a bit. He was earning money now, but it was still about half what I make and not enough for us to live off of. We had a little room to breath, but of course, after so many years of leaving leanly, we quickly expanded our life to be more comfortable and for the most part ate up the extra every month with this and that.
But today - today for the first time, I logged into our bank account and there it was - his first pay check. The first REAL pay check. I almost cried. Not for the reasons you might think, it wasn't a greed thing.
It was an achievement for ME, I had made my goal as well. This was my graduation day. I had supported my family for 8 years, kept a roof over our heads, food on our plates, and clothes on our backs, and sometimes toys in our hands for 8 years. Never once hiccuping, never once messing it up. I did it and I am now relieved of duty. I'm relieved of the stress, the wakeful nights, the worry. My husband now makes more than me, lots more than me and I couldn't be more happy.
I love my job, in fact I've never been happier in my work than I am today. I have no desire not to work. But I love the fact that I don't have to carry the burden any more, that yoke now belongs to him. He's strong and smart and ready to carry it, proud to carry it. He brought home that paycheck stub and reviled in it himself for many of the same reason. I'm very proud of him.
But I'm proud of me to. I never thought I was capable of what I have done. I never dreamed I could do what I did. I sit in this chair in this glorious new house and look out of my window down at the front door and I know that it is his salary that bought it for us but it's my hard work and dedication that positioned us and laid the ground work for us to be here. This place is more than I ever dreamed I would have, and it's mine, and I earned it.




