My wife walked away from a career field that she went to school for and then worked in for roughly a decade. She spent as long as she could in this job known for burnout, but her inability to put the needs of supervisors and private companies ahead of the needs of her clients eventually ground her into dust.

Before I continue, a little about my wife. She is one of the most driven, independent, intelligent, and empathetic people I have ever met in my life. Her entire personality seems like it is wired to help others, and to be around her is to feel that energy as it radiates off of her. When she gets beaten down by something, you know it’s bad.

To see an unbreakable person get so close to the brink is difficult, but we still tried to make the best of it. I am often writing and studying, trapped in my own head, and unfortunately, I can be emotionally absent at times.

My wife is very good at putting up with my weirdness, but after this, I’m trying to actively stay engaged more often. Frankly, I’m trying to be less selfish. I have no attention span in general. but all good things in life require effort, including helping to maintain your spouse’s emotions.

What seemed to be an inescapable situation has since been turned on its head. My wife decided to resign, for better or for worse, she was now free.

This was a decision that I fully supported. My wife and I have an interesting dynamic. I worked while she finished school, and she works while I’m in school. and this is the back and forth.

One cares for the other to allow them to chase their individual dreams, all in an effort to make the whole stronger. If my wife ever needs to throw up her hands and just sit on the couch for a few months brainstorming something she will actually enjoy doing, then so be it.

Of course, in another display of my wife’s exceptionalism, it did not take more than a few weeks to do the unthinkable, and that was launch a successful small business. It happened overnight; it exploded.

Now my wife gets to do something she loves and work with a population she is great with. She told her old career to go fuck itself and came out queen of the hill in what felt like the span of an eye-blink.

Needless to say, for all that pressure to come off of her so quickly has caused a different version of my wife reappear.

I love all of my wife’s many forms, we are always changing and evolving. I for one am certain that I am a completely different person than she married. Our values have always aligned, and it has allowed us both to blossom as individuals. That being said, when my wife’s natural positivity and bubbliness comes to the surface, there is no escape, and it lights up the whole house.

She’s a goof again, which means I’m a goof again, whether I want to be or not.

I’ve been in my office space, staring at a screen in the dark and getting way too deep into my mind lately. Now, I’m just feeling better. I bathed my dog, I’ve been eating and taking care of myself, and I didn’t even notice.

That’s the magic of my wife; it comes so naturally to her that she sneaks the sunshine onto you. You don’t know that your lair is being invaded by light until it’s too late. Next thing you know, you’re doing the Sponge-Bob holding a spatula noise together.

Was this a Love Letter? It made me feel warm to write, so let’s say yes.

Until next time,

J. Thomas Cassidy