‘My Wife Had to Go to Work’

Awake!: What do you do for a living, John?

John: I keep records at a manufacturing plant.

Awake!: And you, Carrie?

Carrie: I take care of elderly people, working for them in their own homes.

Awake!: What made you start working?

Carrie: The economy. The rent and food started to go up, and we couldn’t seem to make ends meet.

John: Around here a couple needs at least $1,200 to $1,400 a month to live. Our rent is over $400 a month. Food runs about $50 a week. And we have car, clothing, and cleaning bills.

Awake!: So Carrie went right to work?

John: Not right away. I tried working some overtime. At times I worked 10 or 11 hours a day​—5 or 6 hours on Saturday.

Carrie: Yes, it was very hard for both of us. We never had any time together. He’d come in, eat his supper, and go right to bed. And we still weren’t making ends meet.

John: I knew I couldn’t keep that up for long. You see, I started studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. But as I progressed, I began to realize I didn’t have the time for all this work. I needed time for spiritual activities such as Christian meetings. So I decided the overtime had to stop. We waited, though, until our daughter got a bit older. I definitely wanted Carrie home until she was through school. But when she got into high school, Carrie did some part-time work in department stores. And later on we decided it would be practical for her to get full-time work.

Awake!: Did you resent having to work, Carrie?

Carrie: No. I could see the strain on John. So I was glad to be able to help out.

Awake!: How has your working affected your relationship?

Carrie: Well, now that John’s not working overtime as much, we have a bit more time for each other.

John: In that sense, Carrie’s working has improved things a bit, since it has relieved some of the financial burden. But we are careful not to neglect each other.

Carrie: We enjoy sitting down and discussing things together. We shop together. And we plan our weekends so that we can work together in the door-to-door preaching work​—we especially enjoy that.

John: That’s our best time together.

Awake!: What about the housework?

Carrie: We share the load. Each of us has his own responsibilities. I do the cooking, and fortunately John’s not hard to please when it comes to meals. If I’m tired and just make a salad, he’s satisfied. Our daughter does the dishes, and John does things like mopping and waxing.

Awake!: Isn’t that hard to do after a day’s work?

John: Yes it is. But usually we get the work done. I know, though, that I wouldn’t have to do many of these domestic chores if Carrie stayed home all day.

Awake!: Do you think it’s a good idea for both the husband and the wife to work?

John: Not if you don’t have to. It’s not good for a couple to be so dependent upon the wife’s income. What if she gets sick or pregnant? And the extra pressure can be a real strain on a young couple. We therefore hope that one day we can change our present situation and both work part time. This way we’d be able to spend several hours each day in the Christian ministry.