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A TASTE OF ENCHANTMENT: February 2002 Special Edition     

"Achieving Positive States of Mind and Body Again and Again"     

Produced by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein , Psychologist, Life Coach, and Originator of THE ENCHANTED SELF(R)     

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Welcome to the mid-month publication of The Enchanted Self's e-newsletter!  Each month I will focus on (and respond to) a question about enchantment and/or a reader's ideas on enchantment.       

Question of the Month: How can I have some fun and pleasure remembering memories?  Are there times where the end was better than the beginning and it could be good for me to feel close to that child or young person I was again?

Yes, indeed you can have fun and pleasure remembering times in your life where the end was the best part!  I let my memory scan my childhood and came up with a great memory that had laid dormant for many years!  The end was definitely the best part, yet I had fun remembering all of it!  It seemed to bring me closer to both the child that I was and my loving mother (who still loves me but would never give me a treat like the one below now!)

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The Fudge That Didn't Harden

By Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

When I was six years old, my mother belonged to the Faculty Women's Club at the University of Bridgeport , where my father was the Dean of Education. This required her dressing up in her nicest two piece suit, putting on her best jewelry--even a hat and gloves--and going off to meetings with the other ladies whose husbands were professors or administrators.

I loved watching her dress up because she was so pretty!  She had lovely thick black hair, a beautiful face and when she put on a lovely wool suit, rhinestone jewelry and black suede pumps with straps, she was certainly the prettiest mother in town.

She had assignments for her club meetings.  One time her assignment was to make and bring five pounds of fudge. This was a great assignment for my mother, because ever since childhood she had been gifted at making rich chocolate fudge.

I couldn't wait for her to get on with her assignment because I knew I would get to lick the bowls and the saucepan! This was a delightful treat.  Five pounds was a lot--maybe there would be more than one saucepan and several bowls to lick?

The day came for her to make the fudge.  I eagerly hung around the kitchen waiting and watching as she took a pan of ice water and threw in little lumps of fudge to see if they hardened properly.  That would be her cue. That meant the fudge had cooked just enough and could now be left to fully harden in the refrigerator.

As I watched as she kept throwing bits of fudge into the ice water.  Something was wrong!  It quickly became clear that her mood was deteriorating. She was fuming and talking under her breath and aggravation was sending vapors through the kitchen.

I asked, "What's wrong, Mommy? What's happening?"

"It's not hardening.  See how the fudge is just spreading out in the water.  I must have done something wrong. I don't know what to do."  Then she threw in a little more sugar and a little more butter and again we waited.  Again she checked in the water and again the hot fudge did not harden.  "There's something really wrong and I simply can't bring it this way! It's turned into sauce, not fudge," she said as she started to cry.

"But Mommy, it's okay. Maybe it will harden if you put it in the refrigerator anyway," I said.

"No, it won't. It has to harden in the ice water.  It will just stay fudge sauce in the icebox.  

Now I have to go to the club meeting without my fair share."

I was worried.  I didn't like when my mother was upset.  Then a little smile broke out in the corners of my mother's face.  What a relief!  But why was she smiling?  I didn't know what lay in store for her and for me! Would I still get the saucepan to lick? And then the smile broke out even bigger.  Then she began to laugh.

"Well, Babsie," (that was her nickname for me), "I think you're in for a delight.  The only solution is for you to get the whole five pounds of fudge as sauce to eat over the next few weeks. Now isn't that a treat? And I guess I'll have to hurry up and run to the store before I go to the meeting and pick up some bought candy."

I couldn't believe it. I was suddenly the recipient of a treat beyond measure--five pounds of fudge sauce to work my way through!  I could come home after school and take teaspoons of it. 

I could have it at dinner after my dessert as a second dessert.  This was a dream come true!  I was absolutely elated.

"Oh, Mommy, Mommy, thank you! This is such a great treat! I'm so glad. This is the best fudge that never hardened!"

***

This little vignette from my childhood is a wonderful example of a moment that appeared to be spoiled and then turned into a precious moment in time with positive effects. I'm sure that all of you have experienced some moments like these along the way--where your darkest apprehensions then turned a corner and good things came out of what appeared to be lost opportunities.

Take a few moments to enjoy searching your past for special times that came out of disappointments or what appeared to be failures.  I hope you'll share these precious moments with your family and/or friends--maybe over a lovely dinner that could culminate in ice cream covered in fudge sauce.  Aha! Do you hear what I hear? Yes, I can still taste that wonderful five pounds of fudge sauce so many years later!

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Please give us the pleasure of sharing your responses.  They may be posted on the web site or in future issues of the newsletter.  You can also chat about this topic or create your own in The Enchanted Self e-group at the following URL: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/encself

How to Order

Here are some ways to order RECIPES FOR ENCHANTMENT, The Secret Ingredient is YOU! as well as THE ENCHANTED SELF, A Positive Therapy.  If you order from my website I can send you autographed copies of my two books.  I can also send your free Enchanted Self bookmarks and copies of my paper newsletter, THE ENCHANTED SELF.  You can also order the audio edition of my first book, THE ENCHANTED SELF, A Positive Therapy via my web site.

Tip: When shopping online use keywords "recipes for enchantment" and "enchanted self" to locate the books.

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Forwarding & Reprinting

(C) 2001 Copyright The Enchanted Self - All rights reserved.

Please feel free to pass this issue on to someone who might enjoy it.  The Enchanted Self Newsletter is copyrighted but may be quoted, reprinted, or distributed in whole or part without prior permission, provided the content is not changed and attribution is given including:

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

THE ENCHANTED SELF(R)

We also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as self-healing and professional psychology newsletters. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission and send us a sample issue.

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To learn more about THE ENCHANTED SELF(R) - A State of Well Being, Joy, and Happiness, please contact me or visit my web site.

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