Beside Every Successful Person !!

I like the proverb "Behind every successful man, there is a woman". But I've never understood the real meaning of this. I've seen this practically with my parents. My father is a doctor and I consider him successful/contended. But I always wonder how can my mother who has just managed to complete her +2 be behind his success. The only way I could think of is, she has been a good wife. She knew the responsibilities of a doctor and never cribbed when he had to be in the hospital 24 hours. This is what my father told me "a peaceful family life is directly proportional to a peaceful/successful professional life". A good lesson to learn. But then, is it only the wife who takes the credit? A man is how his mother made him. That's true..the mother is the sculptor who shapes her children. So, behind a man's success there is definitely his mother..so if the proverb says "a woman" then I think it must be his mother !! I remember a relay match where there are 4 people running towards a goal. If the first 3 don't give a lead the 4th person can still make an effort and win. On the otherhand, even if the first 3 people do well, the victory still depends largely on the 4th person. So, a wife according to me is like the 4th person. Sometimes, she can completely change the life of a man (of course either positively or negatively ;-)).Sometimes, she can be behind his success just by not stopping him. Does this proverb apply to a man only? I just remember my childhood days. As a girl, I was lucky. My father encouraged me in everything I did. He encouraged me to learn things and be equally competitive in this world. Books, Sports, Cooking, Music,Instruments, Painting, Handicrafts, Embroidery, Oratorical competitions, Debates, Quizzes..what not. I think I've been successful so far. And I think, my father was the man behind it. As a woman, I've inherited certain qualities from my mother. So, she also has a role in my success. As a working woman, I understand the practical difficulties in managing a family (though I'm just into it :-)).In general, 50% of my collegues are female. Nearly 25% of them are in a joint family and without their mother-in-laws' support they could never imagine working late hours, managing household work, taking care of their kids and above all these what a great relief to go home tired and see that dinner is ready and you get a cup of hot coffee with a caring smile !! For the rest 75%, husbands are great!! There is 50-50 in everything..be it cooking, cleaning, taking care of kids, etc. What does it take for a woman to really balance her professional and personal life? How can a good husband be? The bible says this. 5-10 years back, marriage was a show stopper in a woman's career. When I was in college, I thought marriage was the end of my career. I think I was wrong. I enrolled in a MS degree and was 100% sure I'd never complete it becoz I got married. I struggled for a year before marriage to complete my thesis but completed it in 4 months after marriage. This would have never been possible without the support of my husband and in-laws. The interviews of many famous women never fail to mention the part played by their husbands to help them climb the laddder. It requires a lot more maturity for a husband to be egoless and allow his wife to grow and shine. I think, without her husband's support, a woman can never be successful/contended in her life. May be the same applies to a man too. Should the modern saying be "Beside every successful person, there is their spouse"?