Proud Wife

I am a proud wife. As those of you who know my husband are aware, he is not always the most laid back person when it comes to change. Change is painful for him, and much is wrong with the world when life is changing for him. Moving to Virginia Beach has not been an easy transition. Leaving his old job and working for his new company hasn't been a cakewalk either. But, given my dysfunctional background (and my coinciding propensity for sticking it out when most people have already jumped ship), and knowing that he is a good person, I have endured him through good and bad because I know he is worth keeping. 

He can be painfully quiet. When he first started at his old job, he was so quiet that his friends suspected he would one day go postal because of his severe silence. Well, for someone who plays with data all day, this is fine, because the most important relationship he had back then was with numbers, and that was all that mattered. Now, being able to speak up when needed is more important than before. In the past year and a half, I have encouraged him to speak up when he says he's silent, to be bold and stand up for himself because there's a good chance that if he doesn't, no one will. These are truths I have learned. I try and share some of my wisdom with him, and I never know if it sinks in. Well, I think it just may be sinking in. 

For the past year, B has struggled with his new job. He hasn't struggled so much with his ability to do well. Hell, he got a raise that was double the company average. But, he has not been satisfied. He has wanted to help manage properties, and has instead been responsible for investor reporting. Apparently, though, he has been very vocal about making his ambitions known, even if his boss has other ideas for him. 

In the past three months, B has finally been put on a team that helps manage two corporate buildings, and they just bought another one in the same area, and guess who will be put on the team once the deal closes? Yep. My husband. I am so proud of him. He has made himself better known to the director of corporate offices by going above and beyond when he's asked to do something for the director. There is some sort of a trial or hearing that has to do with one building, and he was thinking of asking to go along, just to learn. I told him that if he didn't try, then he'd never know what could have been. 

Also, this past weekend I did a sort of counseling session with him, much like one I would do with a student, only this one was way longer. Basically we figured out that because he has actually more of a dominant person rather than passive, when he is put into a passive position socially and professionally, then he tends to withdraw himself from the situation. To fix this, I suggested that he try to initiate more with people, and once he does, he will be able to better control the direction of a meeting or social situation, and he will enjoy himself more. Obviously he can't do this all of the time, or else he would look pretty bad, but at least taking some initiative is better than none at all. Honestly, I didn't expect anything to change after talking, but over the past few days, it has. I guess I didn't expect it because I am used to children knowing what to do, and then doing the opposite, just because they are their own person. Adults aren't any different. But I think maybe that little session helped. I hope. Regardless, I have always told him that I know he will be very successful in his life. I have always believed in him, and I always will.