She watched husband leave for work every day on the door cam — and finally saw his broken heart

A crucial aspect of men's mental health lies in the societal expectations of them being 'providers'. While most are happy to do it, to go to work and "win the bread," as they say... it doesn't mean the labor doesn't take its toll. However, social structure dictates a significant portion of their 'respect' based on income. When Aaralyn Green (@thatssorichgirl) watched her husband leave for work, she would always watch the footage, but one day, something caught her eye one day and immediately broke her heart. Sharing the door cam footage of her husband leaving for work on November 5, the Instagram creator shared the insight she'd gained.

"Every morning, I watched him leave for work until one day, I realized what he was doing," read Aaralyn Green's caption. Although the video may seem normal at first, one realizes the tragedy of it soon enough. Green noticed that her husband looked exhausted every morning he left for work. "I saw the tiredness in his eyes, the deep breath he took before walking out, and the way he lingered for a second longer at the door like he was gathering himself before the day even began," she wrote. At that moment, she realized the pressure he was under raising their family. "Carrying the bills, the responsibilities, the pressure of being strong when he probably wanted to rest too."

Acknowledging his efforts, Green soon realized what she had failed to notice. "Every paycheck, every late night, every early morning was his way of protecting us, even if it meant sacrificing his own peace, and that realization sat with me all day. It made me see everything differently." Green did not want her husband to feel alone in this hustle to raise their family. She joined him by creating digital products and began supporting her life partner. "Now, when I watch him leave, it feels different. There's peace instead of guilt, purpose instead of panic. Because I know every small step I take is leading us toward a life where he doesn't always have to walk out that door before the sun rises," Green concluded.

In a 2019 study authored by Monika Lopez-Anuarbe and Priya Kohli, the researchers note that men experience significant emotional, financial, and physical burdens, often with limited social or institutional support. Especially with the common pressure of 'keeping it all inside,' men rarely ever find a non-judgemental opportunity to open up. Even when they do, there's peer pressure and social expectations usually preventing it. Green, realizing her husband's silent efforts and offering a helping hand, brought about a change she could clearly see in his face later. Soon after the video caught online users' attention, there was an outpour of appreciation from male users. 

@billyabee66 wrote, "All a man wants and needs is just to be appreciated and acknowledged that what we does is worth it. Come home to a loving wife and sometimes just be held by the woman he loves." @1m.__ commented, "Bro... it's hard to express this feeling we keep to ourselves as men. Most times it baffles us to see women don’t acknowledge what you see in your man... godbless for real. #oneday." @ique.lifts shared, "We don't complain, we get up and work everyday to provide for our families. The world doesn't have to know what we do, we don't need to boast or brag. We just do it."

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