Grocery Shopping with Kenneth (05/25/2025)

It had been 10 days since my surgery. I’d stocked up on groceries the day before surgery with all our usuals plus we’d had generous friends who dropped off meals for us. But yesterday when I opened the fridge to get my coffee creamer, I realized just how bare the shelves were. So, I broke it to Kenneth that I needed his help grocery shopping. He took it well.

I can’t explain my excitement as I was getting ready for our venture out. It was like it was a date with my fellow. We got in the car. He drove, and we talked the whole way. I was especially proud of myself that I didn’t tell him where to park; I have my preferred spaces, you know. But I kept reminding myself that Kenneth was taking me shopping, it wasn’t me taking him. When we got into the store, he selected the cart he would push, I stowed my purse on the bottom shelf, and we were off.

We’ve been married for 56 years, but this is the first time I can remember him shopping for groceries with me. I was excited to hear his choices. He chose a whole melon over melon chunks prepackaged. He chose green grapes over red. He personally selected the bananas. He didn’t have a preference when it came to the ingredients for lettuce salad. We spent the most time in the nuts and trail mix sections as he read the labels before choosing – probably the food scientist in him (that’s his master’s degree).

We made our way around the store, him pushing the cart and picking up the heavier items, and me leading him to the next area of “usual purchases.” I can’t explain it, but I was having the most fun I’ve ever had shopping for groceries. I’m not sure if it was the companionship or the consultation that mattered most. I found myself actually wishing we needed more so the trip would last longer.

We made our way to the checkout, and Kenneth unloaded the items on the conveyor and then reloaded them after they were bagged. I paid. And then we went to the car where Kenneth stowed everything. He returned the cart to the cart corral, and we were off.

When we got home, Kenneth brought all the bags in and I unpacked them and put the items away. As I was whipping around our island, putting things in the fridge and then the cupboards, I felt oddly satisfied. Usually quite self-sufficient, I found myself elated in my admission of need and acceptance of help.

It was grocery shopping, but I felt like a real team, Kenneth and me. I think he recognized my appreciation for all he had done for me over the past ten days, but I believe yesterday he recognized how much I needed him and how happy it made me that he was there.

Last evening, before bed, the LORD and I revisited my adventure with Kenneth at the grocery store. I gave sincere thanks to the LORD for the gift of Kenneth in my life, recognizing that we are blessed to still have one another at our ages. And then I thought of my admission of need and his gracious help and how it felt. I prayed to the LORD that He remind me of this day when I get too uppity in my self-sufficiency and too “lone ranger” in my methods. And I admitted to the LORD that His ways of teaching me still amaze me. Who would have thought a trip for trail mix could be so transformative.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.