LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES!!!

When I was a little girl, my grandmother had a Valentine Chocolate Box that she saved sitting on a shelf in the upstairs hallway of our farmhouse.  It was so pretty and delicate, I never touched it but every time I went upstairs I would look at it.

It was quite large and quilted in satin with lots of lace and ribbon and delicate flowers on the top.  She did show it to me a couple of times and inside were all of the empty wrappers from the eaten chocolates kept neatly in their place as if they had not been touched.  I never asked who it came from, I am sure it was from my grandfather, but it must have meant an awful lot to her that she kept it intact for so long.

With Valentine's Day tomorrow, this got me thinking about boxes of chocolates and life today.  The stores are brimming with boxes of Valentine's chocolates in every flavour and shape you can imagine.  Although the boxes are pretty they just don't have the love and detail of the vintage boxes. 

I am sure that in some high end shops you may find some lovely decorated boxes but I really do not think they have the care and workmanship of the old Valentine's boxes.  Whatever happened to the silks and satins, the delicate laces wrapped around the edge and fastooned with beautiful handmade flowers sitting on top beckoning to be opened to reveal the sweet treats inside.

Perhaps this is a reflection of our lives now.  Everything seems to have to be instant.  Does anyone take the time to make things that have meaning, made with care, the things you save forever and look back and remember the moment you received that very special gift.

We live in a disposable world.  It does not have to be that way.  There are artist who create beautiful things now the things you cherish.  I can only imagine receiving a box of chocolates, all hand done, covered in beautiful silk flowers, and staring at it, not really caring what was inside but the true gift was the box that I would set on a shelf, look at when I walked by, and remember the love that went into choosing it just for me.