Use by this date

I had a moment of joy today as I was unloading groceries. On one of C's fruity snacks, the "use by date" is a date that R should be home by then. I know it's strange, but "best by dates" has been always a way of counting down the days until R is home. I don't use canned goods as a guide or I would think he's never coming home, but I start to notice dates on cereal boxes and other packaged goods. By the time we get down to baked goods and dairy products, we are home free! I am either being clever or these deployments are really starting to take their toll!