What Was I Thinking?!?!

I gave up chocolate for Lent.

Please, someone, tell me what I was thinking.

Ever notice that when you decide to give something up, it almost never fails, you see it everywhere?

I sat down to watch T.V. tonight and YEP, YOU guessed it! A Lindt chocolate commercial. 

And so my teenage daughter came in from the kitchen when she heard the commercial and told me that I just couldn’t seem to get away from it. (She did this with a cruel and pitying chuckle; easy for her-she isn’t participating in Lent…Grrrrrr.) 

She’s right though, it's everywhere I go.

Even a quick trip into CVS requires a strategic plan and an enormous amount of willpower. I went there yesterday and  had to be sure to  avoid certain isles since the Easter candy is out in full force.

Then when I had a sore throat this week, my guy scooped me a nice bowl of ice-cream….but since it was a mixed ice-cream container of chocolate and vanilla, he had to separate the vanilla from the chocolate….

I am not sure who had it worse, me or him…..he gave up ice-cream for Lent…

All I can say is this: It’s going to be a loooooong  40 days. (Maybe not as long for me as for my little kids’ will be without Wii and the computer;)

I realize now that giving up chocolate will mean no chocolate syrup on my ice-cream (or IN my ice-cream), no chocolate chips in my pancakes, no chocolate chip cookies (which happen to be my favorite) and no chocolate candy.

Chocolate is in so many things.  It’s in ice-cream, hot cocoa, candies, and even in some specialty coffees.

Well, this is what I chose. 

I chose to make a sacrifice, to honor and appreciate.

I know what I am honoring…but I also know what I will appreciate- a nice big chocolate Cadbury Egg at Easter and then finally the freedom to eat as much chocolate as I like!!!..…;)

Through this, I've realized that when I can’t have something, I want it even more!

Something else I've realized is how much I depend on chocolate as a crutch.

If I’m grumpy I grab a piece of chocolate. If I am hungry and don’t want to wait till dinner I will grab a piece of chocolate. If I am feeling happy, I will grab a piece of chocolate. If I am tired of the chilly, wet weather, I will make hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies....

Chocolate is my friend.

Oi.

I will miss you Chocolate… 

See you in April…..

Truly,

Amber