A Million Little Reasons

One of the projects in a study I'm doing for our small group asks me to list a bunch of (like, in the neighborhood of 25) reasons I "need" my husband.

(I realize discussing the definition of "need" can be a whole other conversation, so if you have trouble with it, just think "reasons I like my husband to do life with me".)

I have to admit that within the first ten items I wrote down were some monumentally important reasons such as: "to kill cockroaches" and "to take the trash out".

Men, (as if there are any of you reading this) do not underestimate the importance of taking out the trash. I'm not sure why I hate it so much, but I do.

After noting my complete lack of depth in some answers, I then filled my list up with more substantial, emotional reasons that I need my husband.

But it got me thinking. There sure are a lot of practical reasons I "need" my husband.

• To water our (large, corner-lot) lawn by moving around multiple sprinklers because we refuse to pay the money for a sprinkler system.

• To go out to get the mail at night after I've forgotten to get it earlier. Because there are ugly, albino lizards on the front porch that give me the creeps.

• To negotiate with the credit card people and have fees removed when I accidentally, ONE TIME, forget to pay my bill on time.

• Actually...To negotiate with anyone about anything in order to score free or cheap services/products. My husband is a master at this.

• To hang his work shirts up on the top rack in his closet. This saves me pulling a chair over to do it myself (because "myself" is too short to reach the rack without aid).

• To periodically use the plumber's snake to clean out our shower drain. (The hair? It accumulates. And it is disgusting.)

• To dig up grass and till around in the vegetable garden, reconstituting the soil in a matter of hours. That task would take me days...or forever. I'm pretty sure it'd be closer to forever.

• To put the Christmas tree straight in the stand.

• To help me flip our mattress a couple times a year. Even though he thinks it's ridiculous and useless to do so, I am a little particular about my sleeping environment. (And don't we all know it's not useless? It really does make a difference. I think Oprah says so.)

What are the silly little...er...practical ways you need your spouse?