When I was first married, I loved going grocery shopping.  It was so satisfying to buy food for my new home and my new life.

When my babies were born, I loved getting to pick items from the baby aisle.  All those cute little jars of food, the variety of baby cereals, and all those other items that held that undeniable sweet baby aroma.

As much as I love grocery shopping, the time when I enjoy it the most is the period of time leading up to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.  The aisles are stocked with so many wonderful things!  Italian specialties, Americana specialties, and a variety of baking items only found at this time of year.

I take my time, walking up and down each aisle, taking it all in.  Choosing the honey and sprinkles for the struffoli; plenty of butter, flour, and sugar for baking grandma’s butter cookie receipe; the plump artichokes ready for stuffing; the perfectly shaped chestnuts that were my father’s favorite; the sweet yams; the makings for lasagna; and of course, the cranberry sauce, turkey and ham.

But this year has brought a surprise with it.  My children no longer live at home, so the holidays have become even more important to me.  Grocery Shopping now means welcoming them back home, reminding them of our traditions, and filling the house with the aromas of home cooking.  This comes at a time when I was starting to wonder what comes next and that reminds me that life always has a new chapter.  We just don’t always know it until we turn the page.