“I’ll write a new blog when…” has been the most devastating thought to my journalism in a long time. In the past month it’s been when I’m unpacked, when work slows down, when I’m not enraptured in studying for finance, and most notably, when our kitchen is finished.
How many times have we all heard 1 Corinthians 13? Considering we’re nearing the end of Wedding Madness 2012, I’ve heard it at least a handful of times this year. You know which one I’m talking about:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I did not understand what “love is patient” truly meant until I moved in to a condo without a kitchen. The only certainty in this process is the done-date keeps getting pushed out. This kitchen, meant to be done prior to cohabitation, has become a never-ending headache. Most importantly to note, this is no one’s fault. Some factors are lessons learned for the future, but most are circumstantial and unique to this project.
If upper management in your building says you can blow out a wall to create a more open floor plan and then you find a concrete, structural wall, you have to take it in stride and turn it into a kick-ass bar area. If you go with a granite/concrete mix counter top instead of dropping bills on total granite and then find out the counter top completion pushes the renovation out three weeks, you also take this in stride and prepare your meals on plywood set atop the new cabinets.
The complication with taking multiple setbacks in stride is they add up. Soon your stride is a limp, then a hobble progressing to a meager crawl. This is where love comes into play. Your stride may be taking a toll but if you have a really great cane no one will even notice. We’re doing a really stellar job being each other’s crutch when we notice the other is on the verge of sheer frustration.
Love is patient. In fact, it’s so patient it doesn’t mind washing dishes in the bathtub- trying to debate if it’s better to use the faucet or pull down the shower hose thing. Love is so patient it helps you carry a boiling pot of hot water to the bathroom to strain the pasta. Love’s patience doesn’t mind when you gain a few pounds from eating out, nor does it care if everything doesn’t turn out exactly how you imagined it.
As much fun as it’s been for us to revert to collegiate culinary devices, thriving off of just a mini-fridge and a hot water boiler, we’re ready to have a completed kitchen. When you live with someone there’s going to be ups and downs and I’m not sure how we’ve managed to keep this so up but we have and that’s a great sign!
I will never forget when he let me know the sink was still a ways away, he declared “I’m washing the dishes from now on, you shouldn’t have to be doing this.” Without hesitation I said, no way, we’re in this together. Love is patient means having a partner that wants to ease your stress with everything in their power and feeling the same for them.
Aw – I love this! And you two. You have the right attitude – don’t sweat the small stuff and always be a team. Maybe we’ll be hearing 1 Corinthians 13 someday for you two too <3
I love everything about this post.
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