Great story Jennifer, I hope that everyone reads this. I think often in life we might be able to boost our mental health by shifting how we think about the situations that we are dealing with.
It's easy sometimes to see things from the obvious viewpoint but that viewpoint doesn't cover the big picture. Just like you described, in most cases in what was good relationships the trucker doesn't want to leave any more that the wife want him to.
Often part of our problem (men) is that we handle the situation in a different way and usually it doesn't include showing our pain, sorrow or other sissy (so we think) emotions.
Looking at the big picture like you did enabled you to have a different perspective and deal with the situation in a slightly different way than you would have an as a result the relationship still flourishes.
Life can be so interesting when we are aggressively seeking solutions to our problems. Not only do we minimize the problems but we learn so much about ourselves and others in the process.
Thanks for taking time write this post because I think it will help others to think outside of the box and possible try new ways to deal with their own situations in a way that they too avoid drifting deeper into an undesired state of mind.