A Supportive Spouse Can Make All the Difference

Maintaining a successful marriage is never easy. Stress over finances causes more than its share of heated discussions around the kitchen table. Raising children brings exhaustion and long hours of worry and guilt. Heck, simply putting two distinct personalities under the same roof is enough to result in some conflict from time to time. When one or both of the participants in a marriage is involved in a high-profile or demanding profession, the dynamics of the relationship can become even more delicate. In such instances, there is usually one spouse who needs to make more sacrifices or offer a position of unquestioned support. If this dedication is absent, the marriage will be on shaky ground.

Can you imagine what it must be like to be Michelle Obama or Laura Bush? Your husband holds the most powerful position in the entire world and deals with professional and professional criticism on a daily basis. The quality time that a president gets to spend with his family certainly is limited. As First Lady, you must be ready to greet dignitaries, travel the world, and present a beautiful picture of life in the White House. Or, in a field with lesser consequences of a global nature, what about the women who are married to professional athletes? Your husband is likely travelling half of the year and consumed with training or other obligations when at home. He runs the risk of injury every time he takes to the ice, the field, or the court. He is competing in a profession in which someone younger and stronger is always waiting to take his place. A wife of an athlete must always be ready to comfort bruised bones and bruised egos.

In my first novel, Lifetime Loser, J.W. Schroeder (known as J Dub) is aspiring to become one of the next members of the PGA Tour. His pregnant wife, Marcia, stands by his side through this grueling effort and all of the life decisions that follow. I believe that Marcia’s strength and softness provide a great example of the difference that a supportive spouse can make in the life of a hopeful golfer. I hope you will read Lifetime Loser and let me know what you think of Marcia and the role that she plays in J Dub’s happiness.