Chocolate is its own reward

When Mrs. Bennett, my Prep school principal, called to tell us my results for the common entrance exams she screamed and howled in delight. I had gotten 100 on every test. Wow! I remember well how absolutely thrilled she was and that excited me more than the result itself – I felt I must have done a good job if she was so pleased 😀. The whirlwind of joy and preparation for high school is long forgotten, but I distinctly remember my father giving me a WHOLE entire LARGE Highgate dairy milk chocolate for myself. Not to share. For myself. Heaven.

It didn’t go unnoticed that one of my classmates who did NOT get 100 on every paper was gifted with a trip to Disney World 😒 When I brought this up, I was told “You will not be rewarded for doing what you ought to do” and this set a serious tone for me for the rest of my life. Achievement is it’s own reward.

When I sat O’Levels and CXC exams in 5th form, I fared pretty well. One’s, A’s and profiles looking good 🤓. I was given a LARGE bar of Highgate dairy milk chocolate for myself, from my Dad. I was well pleased.

A levels were different, I though my results were ho-hum, certainly not up to the standard of previous external exams. However, I was awarded the Jamaica Scholarship for Girls and a straight pass to Med School. My parents were well pleased. In recognition of their approval that summer before University I accompanied Daddy to Toronto (he was attending a scientific conference) my first trip to Canada 🇨🇦 and upon returning, I was gifted … wait for it … a LARGE bar of Cadbury’s dairy milk chocolate. For myself. Not to share. Clearly, I had arrived.

Time passed and soon I was able to afford to buy chocolate for myself, I still enjoyed a bar, or a bite as a special treat. Dad’s chocolate gifts became more frequent, Cadbury Roses for a birthday, Milk Tray for Christmas, and the occasional unexpected Toblerone or Ferrero Rocher to mix things up. This birthday, Dad was under isolation restrictions and not able to go shopping for chocolate so he asked my younger sister to purchase and deliver a bar for me.

The last bar of chocolate from my Daddy eaten the day after he passed away.

It was delicious. I miss him terribly.

Greater Benefits of Infant Circumcision: AAP August, 2013

Ultimately, all health decisions for a child are the responsibility of the parents. I encourage parents to embrace research and make informed decisions.

Please read the article linked below and share your comments and stories of your experience.

New scientific evidence shows the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks of the procedure, but the benefits are not great enough to recommend routine circumcision for all newborn boys, according to an updated policy statement published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The revised policy, like the previous one from the AAP, says the decision whether or not to circumcise should be left to the parents in consultation with their child’s doctor. 

New Evidence Points to Greater Benefits of Infant Circumcision, But Final Say is Still Up to Parents, Says AAP.