2020 Note - This entry was imported from my old blog, some of the links may not be active.
Something happened yesterday. My husband's pursuit of this doctorate degree came to a final climax. I've been trying to come up with something profound to say about the experience. Perhaps it is still too new. He successfully defended his dissertation yesterday and I'm awe of him. I took off school to attend the open session where he spoke for an hour. I've heard the talk a before and the preliminary ones too. One would think that it would increase my understanding of what his research was all about. The truth of it is I have no idea what he has worked on the past six plus years that I've known him.
Before I met Mark, I had no idea people researched algebra. I had no idea that math was so big and had its own divisions and areas. Now many years out, I get that it is a whole world. The parts that I can understand are incredibly detailed and ..... beautiful. I've been to the joint mathematics conferences three times now and each time I'm in awe. Mathematicians are a unique tribe and I'm glad that I've gotten to know their world.
Though I don't understand what Mark has been doing all these years, I get other parts. I understand how hard this has been. It has been hard on us individually and as a couple. I often joked to friends that I was a math widow. Weekends were hit and miss. Sometimes he would steal away, but then he would miss out on work time. I also understand how difficult it is to go after something you really want, even when people, life and circumstance all seem to get in the way. I get that you have to have persistence and stamina even when you think both are limited. We've had a lot of life changes over our time together. Yet he persisted and now he is on the other side. He is Dr.
Pedigo
now. He just has to fix a few minor formatting issues and submit the paper. In May, he will put on his robes and have a bit of a walk. What's a little walk, when he has come so far already?
I'm proud of him.
