The Produce Aisle

Last week was rough. Exactly 4 months from losing my Grandma, my Grandpa passed away. Thankfully, I was able to head up as soon as I found out and be with my family and help out. We all knew it was coming, but the man had beaten the odds for so long that it was still unexpected. He was a great man and a wonderful grandpa. I can say this because I'm the girl grandchild. Not as much was expected of me. I made sure this past week that I didn't have time to dwell on it and to keep pressing forward with whatever I could do to help. See I don't like to cry in front of people. It's a weird thing to some people, but it's who I am. So we'd be sitting in the kitchen of my Grandparents' farm talking about things and those unwanted tears would brim to the surface only to be blinked in oblivion. I do give myself permission to cry when it works for me. Two of the qualities or flaws (depending on who you ask) that my Grandpa passed to me was stubbornness and being a control freak.

Okay enough about my emotional constipation. You're probably wondering what the heck the title of this post means. Ahh, you thought I didn't have a plan . . . Today was the first day that I've been alone since Grandpa died (not including the 3-1/2 hours spent in a car to get there). I went to the bank and then to the grocery store. When you first walk into the grocery store, the produce is there. I'm doing fine, grab my cart, grab some bananas and then head to the veggie aisle. As I'm picking up green beans, tears rush forward as the image of my Grandma's kitchen and her showing me how to snap off the ends floods my mind. People really shouldn't get weepy buying veggies, but I'm blinking away tears as my gaze falls on the husks of corn. Can you guess who showed my how to shuck corn. My memories of my Grandparents rest in that farm. It's who they were to me. From painting a chair for Grandpa in the barn while he worked in his shop with the traditional country music station blaring in my ear to the cookies in Grandma's cookie jar to milking goats while Grandpa milked the cows. Afternoon naps with Grandpa on Sunday in the recliners. Setting the table for Grandma. To later always making sure before I left to give them a kiss and hug and tell them I love them just in case next time they wouldn't be there.

I will always be grateful for getting to see them one last time before they left this world and getting that chance to remind them that I love them. If you see me getting choked up in the produce aisle, just give me a moment and it too will pass.