Dear King Daddy

Dear King Daddy,

I know the last few months have been rough. It’s no fun taking care of a gal with a fractured pelvis. You’ve had to keep the house in shape, do the laundry and wash the dishes. You’ve hoisted me in and out of the shower. You even bought me my own nifty shower chair, which I intend on keeping even after I’m completely recovered. I love that shower chair. It’s like having a spa that only cost $40.

But mostly, K.D., I appreciate that you made the ultimate sacrifice. You went to the grocery store. I know how much you hate grocery shopping.

The first time, I just gave you a list and let you loose. What came back was an approximation of what I’d actually asked for but I didn’t say a peep. Not a word. That was hard.

So the next time I tried to make it easier for you. I made this list:

As you can see, it starts at one end of the grocery store and ends at the other so K.D. did not have to wander down any extraneous aisle, which greatly irritates him. It specifies exact sizes and, where appropriate, brands. From where I stood (or reclined) this trip went much better.

Finally, I was mobile enough to hobble into the Publix and use one of those nifty motorized carts. I love those carts. The only problem is they proceed at about .5 miles per hour, making it necessary that King Daddy had to very slowly walk along side me. King Daddy has a look he gets when the store is too crowded or he’s been in there too long. It’s a look of mixed desperation and anger. So I tried to be as quick as one can be going .5 miles per hour.

One time I thought I’d speed up the process. I’d forgotten a piece of fresh ginger. I was in the dairy aisle and I asked K.D. just to double back to produce to get it. Time passed. A lot of time passed and I motored over to produce. And there was King Daddy wandering aimlessly, with that desperate and angry look on his face. He didn’t know what fresh ginger looked like. He was looking for it in the onion section. I never did that again.

Happily, K.D.’s grocery shopping days are over. I’m on my own again.

I’ve learned a lot during my recuperating time. I learned to take help from friends, I learned patience. I learned that I have seen almost every Pioneer Woman episode ever filmed for Food Network.

But most of all I learned what devotion looks like. I love you, Mark Mayhew. Thank you for taking such good care of me.