Did you ever know that you're my hero?

My husband is going through a rough patch at work. As some of you know, Mark left his reliable, white-bread job at Eli Lilly in April to work for a start-up company with a good friend. He has done some amazing work for them, and they have developed a viable and useful product, but the stars just haven't aligned in their favor yet. No one is giving up on the idea, but everyone is agreed that they need to seek additional employment until their company starts generating some revenue.

The situation (at least in our case) is far from dire, though. As of this writing, Mark has 3 different companies interested in his services, and he still gets daily hits from his Monster.com resume posting. There's no doubt in my mind that he will land on his feet.

The main problem for him is - and always has been - the uncertainty of the whole situation. Mark is not an impulsive guy, and the idea of "flying by the seat of your pants" is quite foreign to him. Not knowing where he's going to hang his hat from one day to the next is extremely stressful for him. I wish I could do something to help him deal with all this, but other than being supportive, there's not much anyone else can do to help.

From my vantage point, I'm not anywhere near as stressed by this situation, and I don't think that's just because he's the one doing all the work (although I'm sure that doesn't help). It's because I know how talented he is, and what he can accomplish when he sets his mind to it. I know what an asset he will be to whoever is lucky enough to work with him in the future. And I know that his combination of mad skills, creativity and personability will ensure that he will always be in great demand.

So I just wanted to take out a few minutes to tell him how proud he has made me over the past few months. I am proud that he believed enough in himself and his abilities to leave what everyone around him considers to be "the most stable job in town" for a new and unproven firm. I am proud that he faced his fear of change and uncertainty in order to find something that will truly make him happy, not just pay the bills. I am proud of all the hard work he's done and the dedication he has shown since taking this position.

Whether or not this company becomes successful, Mark is already a success. He's been through lots of ups and downs since this started in April, but he has somehow managed to come out of it with a positive outlook on his future and a drive to succeed on his own terms, by doing what he loves to do. I admire and applaud that, and I couldn't possibly be more proud of anyone than I am of him at this moment.

I love you, honey. And you're gonna kick some ass, just you wait and see.