Chocolate Gratitude

Mmmmmm chocolate.

So many kinds. So many flavors. So many textures.

Once, many years ago when I worked in the gourmet food industry, one of my responsibilities was to travel to food shows. If you’ve never been to one imagine a large indoor exhibition space filled with booths that are filled with the most delicious foods imaginable. There’s music and thousands of people roaming the isles and filling the booths and everybody is talking food, eating food, smelling food, and (the hope of the people running the booths) signing contracts to purchase food for their stores.

These shows were always so exciting – especially since about 50% of foods on display were not even available to the general public. The exhibitors always packed more of their own products than what they believed they would sample during the show for a very specific reason – post event trading. Most likely unbeknownst to the attendees of the shows, some of the “negotiations” happening in the booths were not deals to bring products into stores but rather “I’ll trade you x cases of my product for x cases of yours… I’ll stop by your booth right after closing” conversations. To this end, I almost always shipped home coolers packed just as full as when I left with delicacies that wouldn’t hit stores for a year or more.

The trades were a delicious ending to productive shows for all involved and beyond the treats brought back to the office these trades often forged friendships and business relationships long into the future.

One show I made an exceptional trade with the owner of a chocolate company who fancied the cheeses I was presenting. At the end of the show he brought over cases of artisan chocolates. I grabbed a truffle, popped in my mouth and smiled at him. He looked at me in utter shock. Once he regained his composure he told me something to the effect of “One does not just eat chocolate!” and he then proceeded to train me in the art of savoring the experience – the color, the smell, the feel – to warm the chocolate gently in my hand before finally tasting.

If you can’t tell already – I like food. I enjoy cooking. I like learning about food. I like sharing food with family and friends. And I love the connections and bonds people can form over a good meal. But I’ve never been very good about thanking the Creator for the blessing of food.  If you’ve read some of my previous articles here on Breslev, you know it’s an area I’m working on.

Actually, I’ve really been working on it and let me tell you, it’s been a struggle. I get it intellectually. I get it spiritually. But I’ve been really challenged to feel it. You know that deep down, to-your-core gratefulness for something? I wanted to feel that for food – I truly did. I wanted the blessings said before and after eating to be more than just words – I wanted to really feel like I was thanking Hashem for this gift.

It had been a doozie of a parenting day.  You know those days when you try every tool in your kit and nothing works. You zig, they zag, and then zip! They pull out something new you’ve never seen before and you’re left reeling and wondering what just happened. It was one of those kinds of days. One of those days when you become keenly aware that parenting, and everything else, is completely and utterly impossible without emuna.

I took a break from our thus unsuccessful night time routine and headed to the kitchen. Apparently I’m an emotional eater – who knew? There it was, sitting eye level in the refrigerator, a slice of chocolate cake. I pulled a chunk off, said a blessing, took a bite and was overcome with gratitude.

Gratitude for chocolate. Gratitude for a healthy family. Gratitude for difficult parenting days and the growth it was initiating within me. Gratitude for finally feeling truly grateful.

That bite of chocolate cake was exactly what I needed at that moment.  And I think I finally understand the lesson the man with the chocolates was trying to teach me. One does not simply do anything, including eating, without first savoring the whole experience. Everything is connection with the Creator. Everything is an opportunity to deepen our connection with Him.

Taking the time and focusing our intention on our blessings before eating, on our personal prayer time, when we ask for help before taking on a task – allows us to savor the full flavor of this life.

I’m so grateful for that bite of chocolate cake and ever so grateful to the Creator who helped me finally get the message.