‘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.

‘My Wife Quit Her Job’

Awake!: Has your wife ever had to work?

Cleve: She worked about a year after we got married. Then she got pregnant and had to quit.

Awake!: Did she go back after the baby was born?

Cleve: It’s funny. After she stopped working, I found I didn’t really miss her money.

Jeane: [Laughing] Cleve never really saw much of it anyway! I used to buy shoes, dresses, whatever​—he didn’t mind. Of course, I always made sure our bills were paid. But if I wanted two or three dresses, I would just buy two or three dresses.

Awake!: Did you therefore have to work a lot of overtime?

Cleve: I remember one time I needed some money for car repairs. So I put in for some extra work. I was working all sorts of hours and making extra money. Yet in six months I wasn’t able to save one penny.

Awake!: What happened?

Jeane: It seemed like the more he made the more we’d spend.

Cleve: The money just disappeared. Besides, all that overtime was interfering with my Christian meetings. So after six months I quit the overtime, and in a couple of months I saved up enough money to fix the car anyway.

Awake!: Jeane, have you ever gone back to work?

Jeane: Yes. Last summer I decided I needed more money, and I got a job working at a day-care center. But I worked for only three months. I noticed a change in my little six-year-old girl. Cleve was working nights and taking care of her during the day. And then one night I had to work late.

Cleve: I had fallen asleep, and when I woke up I couldn’t find her. I called for her. No answer. I checked the windows, the doors, the hallways​—I looked under the beds—​I was in a panic! And then she came out of the closet laughing. I was too shaken up even to punish her.

Jeane: When I heard about this and thought about the way my baby was clinging to me, I began to realize that she was simply starving for my attention. So I decided it wasn’t worth it to work. What money I was making was being eaten up by taxes, lunches, and clothing expenses anyway. So I quit.

Awake!: But still, wasn’t quitting a financial sacrifice?

Jeane: Jehovah God has always taken care of us. And we feel that Jehovah has given parents the responsibility to care for their children. We could see that our baby simply wasn’t being taken care of and that I needed to be with her more. That was more important to us than some job.

Cleve: And again, that extra money really didn’t help us that much. We’re content with what we have. We’re not rich, but we’re not poor either. I see guys on my job who work seven days a week sometimes. I’ve tried it. It doesn’t work for me.

Jeane: I know times are bad, but we really believe the Bible’s promise in Matthew 6:33 that if you seek first the Kingdom, God will provide for you.

Awake!: So what do you now do with your time?

Jeane: For the last three months I’ve been devoting 60 hours a month to teaching people the Bible. It’s a real joy!

Awake!: So you think mothers should stay home?

Jeane: If possible. A grandmother just isn’t a substitute for a mother.