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Day’?s Verse:
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
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Living together, I hardly notice all the things Ian takes care of as a matter of routine. With him gallivanting around, though, all those things suddenly make themselves remarkably noticeable. They include:

Filling up the car – I think I may have put gas in the car once or twice when we first bought it. Ian drives it 90% of the time and Ian fills it up.

Checking the mail – Ian usually does this when he gets home at 4:30, and I just find mail waiting for me on the table when I get in at 6:30.

Buying food – Ian does the vast majority of our grocery shopping. I went this Sunday and realized I didn’t even know where most of the foods I eat are located in the store. The people in our Life Group were teasing me yesterday, asking if they needed to pack me a basket of food to take home for the rest of the week, or if I needed an escort to the store.

Locking the door – Ian secures our apartment at night. I forget and leave doors wide open, inviting people to steal our mostly-worthless stuff.

Locking the car – Four times yesterday I walked away from the car and had to make a separate trip back to lock it.

Paying the bills – When he checks the mail, Ian culls out the bills and deals with them on Saturdays. I’ve just stacked up new ones for him to deal with when he gets home.

Cooking dinner – We split this chore more evenly, but if it’s something like pasta, pizza, or burritos, I can count on Ian having it ready for me when I get home after work.

Taking out the garbage – He takes it out; I put in the new bag. Pretty good system, if you ask me.

Getting my train fare – Ian goes to the ATM for me when I need money. Sunday marked my first day having to actually use the ATM across the street.

Depositing checks – We’ve gotten several checks since Ian left, but I just put them in the stack with bills for him to deal with when he gets home.

Driving places – I have given up driving when I don’t have to, so although I’ve been behind the wheel a lot these last few days, most weeks I rarely do so. When we go out together, Ian drives and I navigate.

Clearly, I’ve come to rely on Ian more than I thought. He’s a trustworthy, dependable, all-round great guy, and his sojourn out to Seattle has made me really realize how much I count on him. We really have come to support one another in ways I never appreciated before. I can’t wait for him to get home… so I don’t have to go grocery shopping anymore!