How do approach this?
So a little context. my husband and I met about 4 years ago. We come from very different walks of life. I’m from westchester county New York and I come from a pretty wealthy family and have really never wanted for anything in my life for which I am very grateful and aware of. He comes from a very small town in South Louisiana and had very little his entire life. His family life was very volatile and the way I see it they were straight up neglectful at times. He’s worked since he was 15 graduated hi school and spent almost a decade in the marine corps. He’s deployed several times and has had to deal with the mental and physical aftermath of that part of his life. He is very strong, humble, resilient and extremely resourceful. My point is he’s had to work for everything he has. No one in this world has handed anything to him or helped him in any way (not that he’d ever ask for help)
He has struggled his entire life and has pretty much built it from the ground up.
Recently he earned his masters degree despite how unbelievably challenging it was for him and I am incredibly proud of him. His whole life he never believed he’d be able to earn a degree much less a masters. I think it’s always had something to do with his self esteem which is pretty low sometimes And early life circumstances of course.
After he received the diploma he walked down to us. My family, myself and his mother.
He walked to his mother and cried and just bawled in her arms. Looking away from us the entire time like he didn’t want anyone to see him crying.
I’ve only ever seen him cry when a friend of his from his service committed suicide and it was for like a minute at most.
I was really frozen and I felt like jumping in to comfort but I didn’t know if he wanted me to or not. I didn’t even know what kind of tears they were. Happy or sad I have no idea.
My question is do I need to ask him about this. Do I need to know? And how do I comfort him if I even can?
Thanks!!!