An Ode To My Jenny!

Stories of great sacrifice and achievement often can make me a little emotional; when the said sacrifice is done on my behalf I crumble, falling completely apart. My years in school, which I have been in since we’ve been married, have meant A LOT, I mean A TON, of sacrifices from Jenny. Late nights studying, not being able to be with Jenny for this event or that evening because of studying, being not in the present because of thinking of some upcoming test or paper, and as of late just working, working, working crazy hours and studying for boards. That’s not even half. She’s managed to put up with my whining and complaining one minute and my caveman behavior the next; I swear school can make someone bipolar. So there’s that, which is bad enough in itself in terms of sacrifice, but then there’s this: BABIES.

Now, add this in the mix of things, we live away from any family or long time friends and then Jenny gets pregnant….with TWINS….and delivers….THREE MONTHS EARLY….AND THEN SPENT 2 MONTHS IN THE NICU!!!! They came home and a whole new world of sleeplessness and constant nursing and an absent and moody husband crashed down upon her. There were many nights that I slept through where she was up all night with the babies and had to be up with them the whole next day while I was at school. Then came winter and the threat of RSV infection so up went the barriers to keep possible transmitters of the dreaded virus at bay. What that meant for Jenny was protection for her fragile babies but complete, stressful, lonely isolation. It was cold outside, tight quarters inside, and all this without adult interaction…for months on end. The amount of work and perseverance that went into that is unreal. It was so much work; only those who have visited and tried to help WITH Jenny can appreciate the amount of work that goes into having premature twins. I, of course, did not fully appreciate it myself until I was in a place where I could look back and clearly see the effort and sacrifice.

The achievement of Jenny, which is huge, is what an amazing mother she is. She did not waver on her deep-seated convictions about mothering through the hard and trying times, which are supported through her voracious and prolific reading and researching. Jenny is a phenomenal mother and that is no small accomplishment. When people say things like “we’re here on the backs and shoulder of others” and “behind every good man stands a better woman”, well in my case that person is my Jenny. There should be a separate ceremony for the family who “went” to school as well, because they did, they paid a hefty price.

Thank you Jenny, Sam, and Amelia. Thank you for loving me in spite of my moodiness and irritability and absence. Thank you for your love, your patience, and perseverance to help complete this dream of mine, may I never forget the price you paid and may that remind me always of how thankful I should be for where I am and what I have! Thank you and I love you always.