"Heartfelt comfort displayed with a hug and attentiveness is usually all your spouse needs. So just listen, firefighter, when your spouse tells you of her issues, and do not fix," writes Anne Gagliano.
"Your stuff matters too, fire spouse; don’t ever think otherwise. Your issues matter to your firefighter just as much as your firefighter’s issues matter to you; that’s the whole idea behind marriage," writes Anne Gagliano.
You’ve heard the truth—your stuff matters, too. Trust your firefighter with your problems and seek them out just the same as if they were a “normal” spouse with a normal job," writes Anne Gagliano.
"I’ve been a firefighter’s wife for more than three decades now, and it took me a lot of years to figure something out—a simple truth—though one not easily learned. I was wrong to think I was not enough; in fact, I am more than enough," writes Anne Gagliano.
"Sleepin’ ain’t easy for the firefighter, but with some simple solutions, both at the firehouse and at home, I’m hoping the culture will change," writes Anne Gagliano.
"The shift work/volunteer firefighter experiences sleep disruption on a regular basis. It is the price of doing business. But be mindful, as this disruption can lead to sleep disorders," writes Anne Gagliano.
"If you both commit to being selfless this year with your money, with your affection, and with your time, watch your happiness grow to blissful new heights," writes Anne Gagliano.
In Part 4 of her series, Anne Gagliano asks, "What kind of mate do you want beside you when the chips are down, when all the forces of resistance come against you, determined to thwart your every endeavor?"
"There is no “I” in “team,” or so the saying goes. Marriage is all about teamwork. But if you’re not a team, then you may be as separated lodgers that simply occupy the same space, like roommates," writes Anne Gagliano.