"Would you like to take the last cookie?" the school librarian picks up a small red ceramic bowl from the teacher room table and offers the last chocolate chip cookie to a young colleague.
"I have stopped eating sweets and breads" the colleague replies and digs into her lentil-broccoli stew.
"Good luck. It's so hard for me to avoid chocolate," the Music teacher comments and dips a celery stick into hummus.
A wave of agreement hum travels across the room.
"I have decided that I will not give up chocolate because this would take a sweet happy piece out of my life," I announce, going against the current sugar-free nutrition trend in our school.
Many years ago, when I was a much younger teacher, and didn't know anything about mindfulness, then chocolate was my go to food when I had a difficult day. I could eat a large bar like a sandwich. I always had a stack of chocolate in my drawer.
When I learned about mindfulness, the chocolate drawer gradually became a home for tea packs and bags instead. But I didn't stop eating chocolate. My taste changed. I learned about different cocoa percentages and flavours, and discovered some little handmade chocolate shops in town. I don't eat chocolate daily, not necessarily even weekly, but when I do, it is a celebration.
Yes, chocolate is welcome in my life.
Chocolate is healthy. After all, it is a vegetable (chocolate comes from beans. Beans are vegetables. Therefore, chocolate is a vegetable.) :-)
ReplyDeleteChocolate is healthy. After all, it is a vegetable (chocolate comes from beans. Beans are vegetables. Therefore, chocolate is a vegetable.) :-)
ReplyDeleteAll things in moderation, yes? Chocolate every day would make it less special, but today seems like a good time to indulge.
ReplyDeleteYou've evolved into a chocolate connoisseur! I tend to be an all-or-nothing kind of chocolate eater. Sadly, I'm in an all stage right now. Oh well. Maybe I should try your more discriminating, moderated approach.
ReplyDeleteChocolate is my sinful pleasure, Terje. Chocolate does love me but I am particular. I am leaning toward dark chocolate these days. I enjoyed your post and your mindfulness routine.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I have decided. I need one little bit of chocolate and then I am happy. That is what mindfulness as done for me. Instead of scarfing down a chocolate bar I can now slowly enjoy one Hershey's Kiss and it's enough.
ReplyDeleteChocolate is not going away from my life, either!
ReplyDeleteI'm certainly not giving up chocolate. Good to see that I'm in good company here. My personal favorite's a local chocolatier, Theo's Chocolate. And my favorite bar - Salted Toffee Dark Chocolate. One square usually takes care of my chocolate needs, but I have it almost daily.
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