If you are engaged to marry a seafarer or someone out there employed to deal with life in the middle of the ocean, crossing international ports and timezones, be prepared to be strong enough to hold the role of a wife and answer these questions.
Assume as a single parent.
Are you ready to assume the role of a single parent for your kids while your husband and the child’s father are out there making a living?
Prepare to be on your own.
Are you ready to live most of the time alone while your husband is on duty abroad?
Have an abundance of trust.
Are you trusting enough that he won’t be swayed by colleagues or friends who influence him to fool around with other women?
Prepare to face rumors and hear gossip.
Are you ready to deal with rumormongers who spread false stories about your husband flirting with someone while you are away?
Being ready to face risks that come with the job.
Do you have tough nerves to handle news about sea pirates, stormy weather, or accidents involving seafarers?
Understanding communication gaps
Are you ready to accept that even when you have time off from work at home, he can’t be reached by phone or Facebook messenger due to timezone differences or no Internet connectivity issues?
Deliver the baby alone.
Are you ready to deliver the baby if you’re pregnant without his comforting presence?
Acceptance of current work arrangement
Are you prepared to accept that in a year, you are fortunate to be with him even just for five months?
Prepare to face mocks and teases.
Can you deal with teases by friends when they hear relatable “long-distance relationship” songs such as “Magkabilang Mundo”?
Be prepared to adjust to life abroad.
Are you ready to adjust that when he finally goes home for good — and you’ll finally be a complete family — remittance suddenly runs dry?
Be ready to forgive unmet promises.
Are you patient enough to deal with broken promises — failure to call on agreed time or take a vacation for your kid’s birthday — because of work commitments or he’s exhausted from his duty?
Be ready to accept the impact on children.
Are you ready to accept that your child may not recognize his or her father because he was away for so long?
Indeed it’s often not easy to be a wife of a seafarer. When you’re marrying a seafarer, you need patience, understanding, and nerves of steel to get maintain that strong relationship, owing to that quotation, “only a strong woman can love a seaman.” Pray for him, trust him, take care of him, and as long as you can handle it, don’t give up the relationship once it encounters a stormy phase.
