Jul
23
Proud of My Wife
July 23, 2008 |
I tend to see my wife through the eyes of her husband, the mother of his children, the daughter of my in-laws. Last night, I had the pleasure and the privilege to see her through the eyes of others.
I serve on the Board of a nonprofit agency that holds an annual fundraising event. This year, we’ve had difficulty in trying to get someone to step forward to take the chair of the event. Knowing that my wife has planned several nonprofit events, I casually asked her if she would take this one on. Fully expecting her to decline, I was pleasantly surprised when she accepted.
That was a couple of weeks ago. Since then, I’ve listened to her suggestions, her plans, and her already mounting frustrations that are inherent in taking on such tasks.
Last night, she had her first meeting for the board committee charged with putting on the event. I half-expected my wife to be eaten alive. I made the mistake of believing that my wife wasn’t up to the task of dealing with the strong personalities on this committee. After all, I’m the one who serves on boards and chairs committees. I’m the professional. And from a professional point of view, I see my wife as simply a stay-at-home mom who can’t possibly deal effectively with business people like those on this particular committee.
So, we walked into the meeting. I made sure to sit near the end of the table, far away from her, as if I was just another committee member. In my own mind, I was there to support her and read the group, without it appearing that I was holding her hand.
As my wife sat at the head of the table, I realized my perceptions were way off base as she immediately took charge of the meeting. She performed beautifully and managed the meeting perfectly. She worked through dissent and facilitated compromise. She answered questions and deftly proposed ideas. She kept the meeting on task. She established and maintained her credibility. She got people excited and engaged.
I was impressed and proud of her. She not only exceeded my expectations as a husband, she exploded past my expectations as a board member.
My wife is her own person. Sometimes I forget that. She has her own dreams, her own talents, her own passions. As a stay-at-home mom, she doesn’t always get to explore them. That is the sacrifice she makes for our kids and for me in my career. I know she is brilliant; it’s one of the reasons why I’m so attracted to her and intrigued by her. What I forgot is that she can hold her own and floor anyone with her brilliance.
She reminded me that God has his plan for this daughter of his. She is growing and developing her talents so she can better serve Christ. He has instilled so much in this woman. I’m just lucky that he has willed me to be her partner through life and to be the father of her children.
I am one lucky and blessed man.
I just hope that she feels the same way after the event!
