responsibility

this time last year, i had moved to madrid and was searching for a flat. i had enough adult responsibility to know what i needed and what i needed to do. i could shop for groceries, take public transportation, schedule my time for studies and household chores, i set up a bank account. all these things i did by myself. and though i had a roommate and we worked together around the house, we each still had our own lives and were each responsible for our own actions.

now, i'm getting ready to settle into my "new" flat with my new wife. though it's the same flat i had last year with nate, it's different because my fiancee has moved in just over a month ago to get our home ready for us. so, this time, coming to madrid has not meant starting a new life for myself, but starting a new life for us. it's our flat, our telephone, our internet, our kitchen, our bedroom. everything's gone from being mine and yours to ours in a way very different from how nate and i had things last year.

and this new "us" comes with new responsibility. in earning an income, i'm ensuring protection for our family. in going grocery shopping, i allow kelly to do something for her work. likewise, by kelly taking care of the household--a task she readily takes up--she is responsible for creating a welcoming atmosphere in our home for both us and our guests. are no longer responsible for ourselves, but for each other. we are accountable to each other to work for the other's best interests and for the best interests of our family.