In less than 24 hours, Dr Keith Rowley will retire as Prime Minister, finally joining his wife, Sharon Rowley, on that journey, something he said she's been asking of him for several years.
In an exclusive interview with Guardian Media yesterday, Mrs Rowley - known to be graceful and quiet – the polar opposite to her often bold and unapologetic husband, shared how life has been in the Whitehall, Port-of-Spain and what’s she most looking forward to in their future.
While the Prime Minister opted to spend his final day in office on the golf course in Tobago yesterday, Mrs Rowley, who was packing up their belongings to move out of the PM's Residence, used her final moments to thank the nation while praising her husband for leaving a legacy as one of Trinidad and Tobago’s better leaders.
She said, “I would like to say, as wife of the PM of T&T, thank you to the people of T&T for allowing us to serve you. It has been a true honour and a privilege.”
Asked how it felt to be the wife of the PM, she said it was an honour and a privilege but a role she admits has been sacrificial.
Speaking of the sacrifices she’s had to make to help Dr Rowley in his prime ministerial role, Mrs Rowley joked that she’s felt like a single parent.
“The job of a prime minister is a busy, time-consuming and challenging one. It is a 24-hour job, the devotion to which takes you away from your family. My children and I have had to deal with this," she said.
"We got married in 1985, our first daughter was born in 1986 and our second in 1988. I jokingly say that I know what it is like to be a single parent. One important thing is that his love for family has never wavered. For him, it was imperative that we did vacations together.”
Mrs Rowley has always been poised, even when her husband is facing the toughest of critics.
Asked how it felt to witness Dr Rowley suffer constant public criticism from those he served and people across the political divide, she admitted, “We have been married for almost 40 years, and it is very difficult to see someone you love being under constant attack. While my Teflon image was evident, at times beneath the surface was pure pain. I would rarely be on Facebook and when I did go, I would try to gloss over the negatives. As my children were growing up, Keith would always try to protect them.”
That’s why after spending 45 of his 75 years in public life, Mrs Rowley says it's now time for him to move on and devote his time to himself and their family.
In retrospect, she said she understood why he stayed on so long. She said in 2020, Dr Rowley still had a lot of unfinished work and needed to nurture his young Cabinet, calling it a “good decision for the country.”
Her husband’s legacy
When it comes to Dr Rowley’s legacy, a proud Mrs Rowley said he has been one of T&T’s better leaders.
She said, “He has been a Prime Minister who served the nation with dignity, passion and integrity. I truly believe that he has been one of T&T's better leaders, particularly as he successfully steered the country through the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most difficult periods in our history.”
But the population has seen Dr Rowley make some unpopular decisions too, leading some to assume he lacks empathy.
As his wife, Mrs Rowley said this is not the case. She called him a “a true patriot” who loves T&T and has always put country first. She said for him, "Together We Aspire, Together We Achieve" is perhaps the best motto which could have been bestowed on us and is indicative of what he expects of our citizens.
While his political opponents may disagree, Mrs Rowley said there’s a lot more to Dr Rowley than meets the eye.
She said, “Despite his ofte stern exterior, he is a kind and empathetic person who often appreciated and gives a good joke. Sometimes I would tell him to stop laughing at his own jokes.”
Mrs Rowley said T&T’s seventh prime minister is demitting office satisfied he's done the best he could do for the people of T&T, adding he is also determined to oversee a smooth transition.
As for incoming prime minister Stuart Young, Mrs Rowley’s advice is for him to “be your authentic self.”
As this chapter of their lives comes to an end, Mrs Rowley said she's most looking forward to spending time with her husband again.
Daughter: Glad to have 'regular dad' back
Mrs Rowley isn’t the only one looking forward to spending more time with Dr Rowley.
Their eldest daughter Tonya yesterday said she’s glad to have her "regular dad" back.
Speaking via telephone, Tonya said, “Obviously, because he’s in the public life, it takes you away and the time you could spend with family would not have been the same like every other person whose parent was not in public life. Meetings, appointments, travel, things that would take you away from the home which now, we’re going to be very glad to have him back full time ..." she said
"Forty-something years is a long time. That’s even older than me. Some part of your life, you want to be able to enjoy full and have for yourself and for your family. He’s given a lot to the country, which we understand, but we think he needs to enjoy retirement and enjoy life outside of the public life.”
Despite his hectic schedule, Tonya said her dad always made time for his children and now that he’s a grandfather to three, that hasn’t changed.
Dr Rowley has three grandchildren, 10-year-old Lucas, four-year-old Liam and two-year-old Arya.
She added, “He’s my dad. Always first and foremost my dad, like any other regular dad. The same way everyone else’s father would have taught them to ride a bike. That’s what he did. When we were younger, we’re riding outside while he’s gardening or when we’re playing et cetera.
"He’s now moved from that role into the role of a dotting granddad. They can do no wrong in his eyes. He’s close with both of my sons. It’s just a different dynamic. He would go and garden with my son and carry him to plant peas. He’s very much the dotting, loving grandfather.”
She said she understood her father's vision for the country, so she never felt like she had to compete for his attention.
But when it comes to the harsh criticism her dad has had to face over the years, Tonya too said it has been hurtful.
She said, “It’s always been hurtful to see negative comments for anybody to see about anyone they love, and being in this position of being in the public eye exposes you to a lot more criticism. Eventually, you get to understand that everyone is not going to like you or not going to like the decisions that you have to make and you kind of learn to live with it. And sometimes, you just have to take certain steps for your own mental health. You don’t have to read everything. You don’t have to read the comments.”
Asked the greatest lessons she’s learnt from her father, Tonya said, “A level of resilience. I don’t know how many people that possess it. An ability to be very steadfast, focused on your vision and understanding that sometimes, heavy is the head that wears the crown, and you may have to make unpopular decisions. Having integrity, that is something that’s been instilled in my sister and I.”
A proud daughter also thanked the nation for going the course with her dad as PM.