A Box of Chocolates

I never really thought about that Forrest Gump thing, 'life is like a box of chocolates'. But at the moment, a box of chocolates is depressing me and already summing up all the consumerist issues of Christmas that make me decide to plan and buy and give in other ways than a cornucopia of presents beneath the tree.

They have an absolutely ginormous box of chocolates on offer at our local supermarket for a very cheap price. Cheaper than a large bottle of washing liquid, cheaper than the clothes I buy for my children to wear for school, cheaper than a meal for five, cheaper than oh so many necessities. Cheaper than a box of chocolates half the size normally costs. My husband thinks I am ridiculous for considering purchasing the half-sized box when we could get more for less, if you know what I mean, but that's my feeling on this. It just feels too much.

I know it's a loss-leader, and the supermarket is encouraging me to buy other products, and the cost of the chocolate nowhere near matches what they cost to produce, package and sell (let alone source the cocoa, another point of contention). But it's causing me a huge dilemma. How can I possibly buy a huge box of chocolates that is too big for our family to share, when we have a sponsored girl in Guatemala that would appreciate the equivalent price of proper food, much more. Is it that it sums up our developed world mentality that is freaking me out so much? Is it that I feel guilt that to me it wouldn't be that much of a cost? Is my greed challenged? Am I just scared of bringing that many chocolates into our house? It would course amazement, that much chocolate and choice - and then probably gluttony, and then possibly a being-forgotten-about-in-the-pantry.

I don't know, but for the moment - life is just not like a box of chocolates in this house, it IS a box of chocolates :-(