I thought of him enduring 8-9 hours on his feet working in a warehouse that was freezing in winter and roasting in summer. And of course I had to cry. So often men don't get the credit they deserve. One of the things that has made me appreciate my husband, I would say almost more than any other thing, is in his role as father to our children. While I respect those who decide that having children is not for them, and feel profound compassion for those who want to be parents and cannot, having children for me is the icing on the cake of marriage.
Fathers play a different role for children.
I have always found that my husband steps in and plays a very different role when I am gone. He relates to them differently, is softer, without me around. Certainly one of the profound reasons for hanging in there through the rough times in marriage is for the children, and this reason cannot be taken too lightly. Sometimes children seem amazingly resilient and go back to normal routines in the years following a divorce. Then you realize that many times the best thing you can do for your children and even yourself is to put extra effort into making your marriage work.