Margie and Doug had been working together for several months when she mentioned her husband Jon was going to call.
Doug wasn't sure what to expect.
When Jon did call, it wasn't to complain. He was calling to say thank you.
He told Doug he had watched his wife change. She seemed happier. She had stopped relying on him to manage her emotions and had started building her own interests and her own sense of self. It was unsettling at first. He admitted it scared him at first. He wondered if he was losing her.
But then he realized what was actually happening. She wasn't pulling away from him. She was finally taking care of herself. And she still loved him deeply.
What struck him most was something he hadn't expected. For years, he had been carrying the weight of trying to keep her happy. He hadn't realized how exhausting that was.
"When Margie stopped needing him to make her happy, he was finally free to just love her."