Chocolate or Tulips?

I have this thing for fresh flowers. Twenty years ago I would never have purchased them for myself, but then I realized I didn’t someone to buy them for me. Seriously, $14 of Costco roses or $6 of supermarket tulips makes me a really happy person, which in turn makes the rest of my family really happy people.

But, the other day in one of my favorite little stores, I was about to put a bunch of tulips into the cart when I turned around to see a display of chocolate truffles. Fine chocolate also makes me a really happy person and so many brands are gluten-free. Thirty pieces of dark, creamy chocolate lightly dusted with cocoa powder were calling to me from the fancy red box.

Last year, I would have thrown them in the cart too and would not have thought for a moment about buying flowers and chocolate, but the world has changed. Each cost around $6. I stopped and tried to rationalize buying both, but couldn’t. I didn’t really “need” either of them.

The tulips would open on my kitchen table and probably give me seven days of cheer. The chocolate truffles would be my little reward for dealing with kid kerfluffles, deadline stress of getting the issue done and general hormone swings until the box was empty. Plus, dark chocolate is actually good for your health. Tulips, on the other hand, do not cause cavities or contain calories. Thank goodness our internal ramblings are not broadcast to the entire world, because bystanders would have presumed me to be a moron.

In the end, the chocolate won and the tulips went back into the bucket. They have been delicious over the past two weeks. Unending bad Wall Street and Washington news--two truffles. Contentious evening meeting—three truffles with a glass of red wine. Three straight hours on the phone—four truffles for my efforts!

Everyone I know is cutting back, but don’t buy cheap chocolate. These luscious little chocolate truffles have made me pause for a moment of pleasure, which is good for the soul under the relentless pounding of tough days. We all need to find the rational for these little happy moments, treat yourself!
Kendall Egan