Here are quotations from Bob and Lee Woodruff about their marriage.
Lee and Bob: "And there are no perfect spouses either, just those who love each other enough to standy by 'for better or worse.' Don't be fooled: that kind of endurance is, perhaps, the greatest expression of love."
Source: In an Instant, page 288.
Bob: "Lee and I have shared so many experiences. We have been tested by life, perhaps more than others we know. but we have lived it as well, full throttle. I could not have chosen a woman more perfect for me, and after eighteen years of marriage, I remain in awe of her."
Source: In an Instant, page 282.
Bob Woodruff, about his family: "Throughout my career, it's been a real source of strength for me to have Lee and the kids."
Source: Behind Enemy Lines, the Colgate Scene, May 2002
Lee Woodruff, about being a correspondent's wife: "Now, more than ever, we have much in common with military wives in times of war. We are charged with learning how to be single mothers with a paycheck. Foreign correspondents' wives must do what they have always done: shoulder the burden of being both mother and father and blot out the very real chance their husbands might not return."
Source: On the Front Lines, the Colgate Scene, May 2002
Lee Woodruff, about Bob's job: "He has missed holidays, family vacations (we went on ahead), visiting friends, an anniversary get-away (I went anyway) and even his own 40th birthday bash (we freeze-framed his face on the screen with a "hello" sign). In the past six months we've seen him exactly six weeks. Most days our life together is not romantic; it is lonely and tiring and one-half of my team is not only missing in action, but missing out."
Source: On the Front Lines, the Colgate Scene, May 2002
Lee, on keeping in communication with Bob: "Checking my e-mail in the morning before the babies awake and finding a quick mushy note from Bob undercuts some of the loneliness."
Source: On the Front Lines, the Colgate Scene, May 2002
Lee Woodruff, about Bob: "I have to admit, I had a pretty good idea of who I was marrying. When Bob and I were dating, I knew that if I ever became his wife it would be a very interesting life."
Source: On the Front Lines, the Colgate Scene, May 2002
Lee Woodruff, about not feeling included: "Ever since Bob's network job began to bring him further out of orbit with the family, I have felt a sense of loss at not being part of the team anymore. I had to reconcile myself with the fact for the most part, my husband was having the time of his life. But that life didn't include me or the children."
Source: On the Front Lines, the Colgate Scene, May 2002
Tom Bettag, executive producer of Nightline: "Many a journalist's marriage has not survived the road. Don't ever hesitate to tell Bob when it's time to come home."
Source: On the Front Lines, the Colgate Scene, May 2002
Lee, about David Bloom's death: "So Bob is back, though his homecoming was not the joyous occasion I had envisioned. Instead, he was airlifted out of Iraq to give the eulogy at his friend's funeral. All this makes Bob's return bittersweet. But he is home, and we have learned to live for the moment—to snuggle when we can, let the dishes sit in the sink, worry about the dust bunnies later. That's what David would have done. If he'd made it home."
Source: Health.com
Producer Vinnie Malhotra, about the Woodruffs' relationship: "What strikes me is, they have four kids, they've been married a long time, but they would be on the phone and I could have easily believed he was talking to his girlfriend. They have that kind of jokey, flirtatious conversation. It's wonderful. You can tell that they're so much in love." Source: Behind Enemy Lines, the Colgate Scene, May 2002
Lee, about David Bloom's death:
"So Bob is back, though his homecoming was not the joyous occasion I had envisioned. Instead, he was airlifted out of Iraq to give the eulogy at his friend's funeral. All this makes Bob's return bittersweet. But he is home, and we have learned to live for the moment — to snuggle when we can, let the dishes sit in the sink, worry about the dust bunnies later. That's what David would have done. If he'd made it home."
Source: Health.com
