Letters From Home: Welcome Home ~ Grocery Shopping

You would think that once Marine was back on U.S. soil that things would just magically fall back into place and we would carry on as if he hadn't been gone 7 months.

Wrong (Well to an extent).

Emotionally, I was surprised how easy and natural it was to have him home. There was no awkwardness --- something after reading several articles I was prepared for.

Some said that it would take time to reacquaint yourselves and that at first intimacy may be missing or awkward.

Yeah we didn't have that problem!

As far as me and Marine being a couple we were fine.

Sure there was some readjustment but nothing like I had feared.

Today I read an article by an Air Force Wife over on Spouse Buzz titled Reintegration Fail. She tells about her first shopping trip with her husband and mentions his eager "eat whatever this is or starve" attitude.

The article made me smile as I recalled mine and Marine's first grocery shopping trip which was very similar to hers.

We entered the Super Wal-Mart with just a few items on my grocery list. You know the basics for lunch and diner.

We approach the deli and I reach for my normal pack of Honey Baked ham. Marine is standing starstruck by the choices. He reaches for a pack of turkey and roast beef.

I gently tell him for just the two of us we don't need 3 sandwich meats. He pauses and puts the roast beef back and placing the turkey in the buggy.

The chip aisle presents an overwhelming new world of possibilities.

"Look at all the different kinds of Doritos!" He exclaims. " Are these new? I don't remember seeing this kind before....."

Before I can respond he's moved on down the aisle. "Pita chips! These look good. We gotta get these."

In the buggy they go. Along with a bag of Santeria Tortilla Chips because god forbid we go without them.

Each aisle was an adventure as he remembers the foods he has gone months without.

More and more is added to the buggy and my meager list has been all but forgotten.

I remind him that he's only home for 2 weeks and there is no way I'll eat all this by myself. He hears my protests and guarantees though that we will eat all this while he's home. Besides some of it's non-perishable soups and stuff so if we don't eat it it will keep.

I know we won't eat it all and two weeks later I remind myself of his statement as I sadly throw away a pack of chicken that I didn't freeze because "we'll eat it tonight" yet tonight never came.

I had decided to pick my battles. And this was not a battle worth fighting.

I mean after eating stuff like this for 7 months who was I to tell him we didn't need 3 different types of salsa?