The OTHER Big Event.

In my "birth of a president" post a few weeks back I alluded to all the changes in my life. Obviously THE BABY is the biggest of these changes, but there is something else amazing happening and, if I wasn't going to be giving birth in the next 3 weeks, it would take center stage. My husband is going to finish his Ph.D.

Most of you probably don't realized the awesomeness of this, so I'd like to attempt to explain. Nick has been working towards this degree for the last 6 1/2 years and before that he did a two year MA at BC and before that a one year MPhil in England at the University of Leeds. His dedication, his hard work, his commitment to finishing have been unparalleled.

Completing a Ph.D in English is a bit like running a marathon. Firstly, to even start the thing you have to be a little bit crazy. I mean, who would volunteer to be in a degree program that lasts on average 7 years and where you aren't guaranteed a killer job (AKA.. doctor/lawyer) afterwards. There are huge hurdles along the way (heartbreak hills) and you have to spend hours upon hours by yourself training (in the library). BUT in the end when you reach the finish line you've just ran 26 miles and all your friends and family are there to greet you.

So, to be blunt, I might be the bread winner, but Nick has won the marathon. He is one of the most hard working people I have ever met and his passion, work ethic, and commitment to his craft have been inspiring. I was never much of a student and found I work much better in a setting where someone won't pay me if the job doesn't get done. Nick's ability to self manage and meet his OWN self-imposed deadlines is something I've never been able to do.

Over the years I've seen the remains of what doing a Ph.D or even MA can do to a person. Lots of break downs, break ups, drama, instability and even once an intervention. We've lost friends along the way and haven't been impervious to it all, but we've made it. Nick has managed to not only finish his degree, but make wonderful friends, complete 4 albums of music, buy a condo, feed and water an extremely successful marriage and... oh yeah, procreate.

In the end he might not have corner office or be the head of surgery at MGH, but I think he has something better. He has completed a fucking PHD!! He has written a book that is over 200 pages. He has done it all himself with no gun to his head or boss to nag him. He has done it because he started it and he was going to finish. He has done it because he's my husband and he's amazing. Boy do I love that man.