Journey To: The Valentine Chase

(2-minute read)

“Healthy eating” does not rule out splurges. And chocolates on Valentines Day is one splurge that I’ll not write off my list.

In January, stores cast out chocolate reindeer, Christmas trees and Santa Clauses only to replace them with an all-time favorite.

I am not one to deny that I am a lifetime recovering chocoholic. It was no coincidence, then, that on a cold January afternoon I would be reminded of the coming Valentine’s day by a stain on the sidewalk.

I happened to be hunkered in my jacket for warmth, enjoying the rewards of a wintry walk, when chocolates seemed to magically appear at my feet. I had spotted the leaves.

The tree has yet to be found. But the leaves live on in the story.

Of course, I knew they weren’t chocolate, and I quickly passed them over. But I couldn’t help returning to snap a picture.

By February, I thought to tell myself a story about Valentines Day. Inspired by the photograph I’d taken, I went back to the street where the leaves had stopped me in my tracks. There was no sign of them on any tree by then. So I started a hunt online, researching for hours to find the name of the tree which grew my “Valentine leaves”. I came up empty.

As the months passed and the trees bloomed, I returned to the place. Still, there was no tree with these leaves to be found. It still remains a mystery.

As for me, I’ve managed my craving for sugar. It seems that my whole plant diet has damped my appetite for sugary foods. But I still keep a box of chocolates in my pantry (behind the nuts and seeds) for the rare times that I long for them.

Read the Story: Valentine Tree (Recollection No. 101)