The Prison Wife...

I didn't write this, it comes from here:
http://www.marriageandwealth.com/prisonwife.html

The "Prison Wife" is the forgotten one, as she waits at home for her husband. Our society takes care of the sick, the dyimg, the homeless, but the prisoner's wife is alone and forgotten.

She is faced with insurmountable problems....financial, emotional, psychological, social, stigmatization, health problems to face alone, children to take care of. She keeps the household "together" until her husband comes home. She works, pays the bills, pays the mortgage or rent, the car payments, the insurances. She takes care of the children, the repairs for the house, and just about everything else under the sun. Holidays and birthdays come and go. She is alone and lonely, most often faced with depression.

Most prison wives find it difficult to even face another day. The prison wife lives in hiding because she is afraid the neighbors may find out. So she lies and says he is on a "business trip," to protect herself. After all, the neighbors would be shocked to know that a criminal's wife lives next door to them.

And what does she tell the children? No one wants to let his child play with a criminal's child.

When her husband leaves for prison, the wife goes through a period of "grieving." She goes through the same "grieving process" that a widow goes through. The only difference is that the widow can eventually move on, while the prison wife cannot. The prison wife is a "wife," but without a husband. She cannot go out and socialize, and it is difficult to make new friends, as she feels she is being "unfaithful" to her husband.

After a certain amount of time (months or even years), it is acceptable in our socity for the widow to step out, start dating and even remarry. The prison wife who is faithful and dedicated to her husband does not have this option. Some women wait years for their man to return - ten, even twenty or more years.

There are close to two million prisoners in our country....that makes me wonder just how many wives and loved ones are left behind and forgotten. We think about the prisoner, but rarely think about those left behind.....the wives, the children, the mothers, and the girlfriends, to name a few. Those loved ones, who did not commit a crime, except the crime of "loving a criminal." They did not commit a crime, and yet they are punished.