Kenyon and I have been apart for a couple of weeks now. I work very hard to be home after two weeks. When we were dating, I was in China for nearly a month. When I came home he said, "that's too long." He's never said not to go, but he wants me back home in around two weeks. I do all I can to comply with that request...even if I have to return to a region a week later, it is worth the travel time to prioritize my family. So, he's in Haiti and we haven't seen each other in a couple of weeks. We talk at least once a day through the wonders of Skype...God bless the inventor of Skype.
I think this time away is good for us. I have come to appreciate him more. I miss his company. I have become keenly aware of all the things he does for me...for us. Last weekend, I did laundry for the first time in two years! I hadn't even thought about how my dirty clothes get from my luggage to the closet in time to pack for the next trip...until now. Kenyon takes care of all the details of our lives; taking trash to the dump, keeping the house organized and clean, maintaining the vehicles including regular oil changes. In these weeks I have been running to the grocery store, the courthouse and other errands that I have not had to even think about in years. When we were dating I wrote a post on the Kenyon fairy and all the nice things he did for me and the details he took care of for me. He hasn't stopped doing these things, but I had stopped noticing them. In his absence, I am keenly aware of the gift I have in Kenyon and I'm more grateful for it.
On the flip side, he is also getting to see what life is like for me in the field. He is sleeping in an uncomfortable bed, with mosquitos and other critters, in a less than comfotrable guest house with strangers, where there is a shower that runs with brown water. He is eating whatever is available and working long hours. The trips I have taken him on with me are the fun one's. We stay in a hotel and there are interesting sights to see. I've yet to take him on the grueling visits to the bush. Daily he is seeing people living in deplorable conditions. The need is so much bigger than the resources available and it is taxing to not to be able to help everyone, it is a burden to have to make the choice on who receives the gift and who is left without. If only there were more resources. If only there is more that could be done. I think he is beginning to appreciate why I come back so physically and emotionally exhausted. Traveling for work is not a vacation!
Kenyon's time in Haiti has not been easy. They have provided some food and water filters to needy families. They do not have enough of either to help everyone. They see many homeless because of the storms and there are no resources (materials, money, interest by UN agencies providing supplies) to provide even temporary shelter. They are trying to distribute basic necessities like blankets and running in to road blocks at every turn. For him, it has been an adventure like no other.
We were talking the other night through Skype and he said, "this time away has made me cherish you more. You are so precious to me and I cannot wait until we are together again." It is true absence can make the heart grow fonder.
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