Jason went to the grocery store for me again the other day. He does this a lot. I don’t like shopping in general and although he can do many things to help me with Cole, he can’t lift him in and out of his crib or up off the ground or make his bottle or change his diaper or get him dressed…all the things that require use of your hands.
But he can go shopping for me.
So, now that he has his new van (finally!) Jason has become the errand-runner in our family again. I think that is what I missed most when he was vanless – his ability to go places independently. But going to the grocery store is different for him than it is for the rest of us. He can’t grab things off the shelf and so he has to ask other customers or employees to help him load his basket or grab his credit card from his wallet or take his bags to the car. Armed with the list I have given him Jason conquers his task with the help of half a dozen people along the way.
He often will have me on the phone, asking me questions over his bluetooth headset. Not only does this ensure he is getting the right items but it is a bonus for me as well. I get to hear the conversation of each person who helps him get a particular item in that aisle.
“Excuse me – can you help me grab this?”
“Oh! Sure! Which one? Oh, ok. Here you go. Anything else I can get for you?”
“No that’s all. Thanks.”
Then more often than not, I’ll hear some sort of motherly love from the helper as they tell him how impressed they are that he is going shopping on his own. It’s usually a tender little moment for them – I can tell. As women, we just can’t help ourselves.
Of course, there is the random person who when asked to help just look at him like he is a crazy quadriplegic stalker and hurry away – but those are few and far between and make us laugh in the process so it’s ok.
So, Jason went to the grocery store and this time he hadn’t called me to ask many questions. He was confident with his own knowledge of the list and buzzed through the store taking one employee with him through the baby aisle and another one to round up all the rest of items in the store. When he got home I unloaded all of the grocery bags and saw that he had gotten bananas, just like the list said. There were three sets – all in varying shades of ripeness.
I hadn’t told him to do this. Jason knows, after all of his shopping expeditions, that I like to get bananas this way. Some for now, some for a few days from now, and some for after that, each set turning ripe when we are ready to eat them. Along with the fact that he was being a huge help to me by going to the grocery store, that day I was grateful for so much more than just an errand run.
Jason knows me. He knows me and cares enough about me to do this task in the way that I would have done it because he understands that it makes me happy. These are my favorite bananas simply because of how they came to be sitting on my counter – chosen with care, hard work and thoughts of me in mind.
This week I’m grateful for bananas and all they represent – and along with those bananas, I’m grateful for you, errand boy. We make a good team.
WHAT A GUY! I wish I could send my guy to the store with the same results! He tries, but he was a bachelor for way too long! LOL! Thanks for sharing, Kolette!
You are reminding me to start writing down what I am grateful for everyday. After Creative Escape I did it for awhile, but I have been busy and stressed lately and haven’t taken the time. It was nice to hear what you are grateful for!
Wow, What a great sweet Hubby you have there!!!! Way to go Jason. Does those simple things in life mean so much Kolette? P.s. I just love bananas!!!!
That is so cool. I don’t think my DH would consider the banana’s or many other things like that. However, since he’s paralyzed, I do know what a cool thing it is for him to be able to go alone.
Your post today warmed my heart. You are married to such an incredible man (and I know you know that). Any man that takes the time to choose bananas that will be to his wife’s liking rates off the charts in my book! And your appreciation of the bananas and all they represent, speak volumes about YOU. You two really are a great team!!
Thanks, what an encouraging thing to share.
It’s the ‘little’ things like this that remind us how truly blessed we are. My husband does so many little things like this for me. At the end of the day these little things are what truly matter.
Hugs to you and your family.
Thanks for sharing the daily bits and pieces that are cause for gratitude. This reminded me of an article that I read once about a couple who were together, it was the second marriage for both. The wife was determined to make it work this time around and so she began keeping a list of all the sweet and thoughtful things he husband did for her. Each year on his birthday she would give him the entire list. She told how her husband was delighted with the list each year. She kept it up for a long time, until he passed away. I just thought it was such a nice idea and a help in seeing more “good” than “bad”.
Take care!
Awesome story
I stop each morning and get a diet coke and bannan at Circle K, 5 months of so one of our office volunteers asked me to pick her up one, she tried to pay me the .20 and I said, no biggy, Now each Wednesday is Bannan Wednesday, I stop at Circle K and get a bunch of bannans for .99 and leave them on door handles at work. You’d be amazed at how upset someone is if they got in to late to get a bannan or there was only a small bunch not a large bunch
What a great story, Kolette. I just happened across your blog by chance and am glad that I took the time to stop and read.
All the best,
John Zimmer
http://mannerofspeaking.wordpress.com/
Kolette & Jason, you continue to inspire me and remind me that it is the little things that mean the most in life!
Nancy, thank you for reminding me of that article (it was in Hallmark magazine wasn’t it?). I liked that idea so much I did it for a year and gave the list to my husband on our anniversary. He thought I was nuts at first, but a few days later he told me that he really liked it. I tend to blow all the little irritants out of proportion so this really kept me focused on all the good stuff and gave me a way to tell him that I noticed too. I have gotten out of the habit, so I need to start doing this again! XX’s
Love your story Kolette!
I am grateful for my fabulous new sidewalk. When I told that to our favorite server at Boston Pizza she gave me the blankest look you can imagine.
My reply to that was “Wait till you’ve been married 25 years and had sidewalks on your “Honey Do List” for at least 15 of those years.
Beautiful sidewalks can be something to be Very Grateful for.
LOVE THIS – and how could you know that i set up my own banana photo shoot just a few weeks ago?!? I’m not a big banana eater – but every time i walk by them in the grocery store i think of my dad [who passed away a couple of years ago] and how during that last summer we spent lots of time helping them out and whenever I’d go to the store he’d ask for bananas – 2 ripe, 2 almost ripe, and 3 green and how i was always afraid i might interpret ‘almost ripe’ a little differently than him [he had a little dementia and not much patience with us when we couldn't do things 'just right' - just ask those who shopped for vienna sausages for him!] Good memories even in hard times and i took the banana photos to scrapbook so I wouldn’t forget…
boy, do i love reading the stuff you write . . .
Kolette….I have known you longer than anyone on this earth. You have always been the same….preciously darling.
Kolette, this is such a wonderful story. Thank you for reminding me about the little details that make life simply good.