Reconciliation

It has come to this, in the Common Household:

The Jews are arguing over the bacon.

Our most recent grocery shopping was on Monday.  We could have made it through another week just fine, on beans, rice, pasta, and Girl Scout cookies.  (I’ve listed the meals we had from March 16-22 in another post.  You can decide if you agree with me that we were dining well.)  But my husband still seemed to think that he had the right to traipse off to the store every day, because we didn’t have the right kind of cream cheese, or bakery bagels, or, God help us, just something he had a hankering for, such as lemon cake.   In my view, lemon cake is not worth the chance of infecting/getting infected.  Besides, we already had an emergency lemon cake in the freezer.

About mid-day on Monday, I heard that the Governor was likely to declare a stay-at-home order for our county.  I made a battle decision.  The Common Household Husband and I would have to go together to the grocery, or else he would continue his dangerously blithe shopping behavior.   So I declared to him, “I’m going to the grocery store to pick up a few things.”  He said, “Wait a minute.  I have to go with you.  What if there’s something I want and you don’t buy it?”

A win for humanity!

So we went, and did the biggest shopping in a long time.  I went looking for a thermometer, and baking yeast, while the Common Household Husband headed toward the meat department.  There were no thermometers nor yeast to be had, and still no toilet paper– not a concern for us, as we are okay (but not overstocked) on that item. CHH came back with an armful of meats (so much for trying to reduce our meat consumption, but we do have to get along in the same house for a long time), but no fish.  So we headed back to the meat department together.

We do not usually have any bacon in the house.  In heaven we will be able to eat as much bacon as we want, without ill effect, but here on earth, it’s a good idea not to eat too much of it. These are different times, my friends.  As I tossed a package of bacon into the cart, I said to the CHH, “I’d like to have one last taste of bacon, before I die.”

As of this morning I had not touched the bacon.  The Common Household Husband decided he wanted some bacon.  Oy Gevalt!   After a while, the house smelled strongly of bacon.  And then of burning bacon.  I came into the kitchen, to find CHH and Younger Daughter arguing fiercely, because YD had burned her bacon.  Oh, the agony of wasted bacon!  “How could you?!” I accused YD.  “How could you burn the precious bacon?!” 

She was tearily apologetic:  “I didn’t do it on purpose!”   I accused further.  She defended herself.  I left the room, angry over a pork belly.

Then I realized, we can’t go on like this, a house divided over bacon.  We must set an example for the world, and get along (and also wash our hands for 20+ seconds with soap and running water).  I came back a few minutes later.  I said to YD, “I forgive you for your bacon sin,” which was still kind of haughty, but we reconciled.    

Let there be love and understanding among us.

Let peace and friendship be our shelter from life’s storms.

Shabbat Shalom.