🍫 The Heavenly Cube

From: Office of Nourishment & Energy
To: All Offices
Subject: The Heavenly Cube

The Office has recently been considering the role of choice in nourishment.

The matter arose approximately two weeks ago.

It involved a pastry.

Not an ordinary pastry.

A beautifully layered, buttery cube-shaped croissant, coated in chocolate and filled with freshly made chocolate cream.

For the purposes of this report, it will be referred to as:

The Heavenly Cube.

The name is relevant.

The Office wanted one.

Very much.

However, the Heavenly Cube was also quickly classified as something that should probably be resisted.

Too rich.

Too indulgent.

Too sinful.

So the Cube was postponed.

Another day.

Perhaps next time.

Except next time came.

And the Cube was still wanted.

Then another.

Still wanted.

For approximately two weeks, the Heavenly Cube remained quietly present in the Office’s thoughts.

A Different Decision

On the most recent visit, the Office wanted its usual tomato and olive sourdough and a long black.

The Heavenly Cube was there too.

Rather than deciding immediately whether the Cube should or should not be procured, a smaller decision was made.

Have the sourdough and coffee first.

If I still want the Cube afterwards, I can buy it.

No prohibition was issued.

The Cube remained available.

The sourdough was eaten.

The coffee was enjoyed.

And when it was time to leave, the question returned.

Do I still want the Heavenly Cube?

The answer was yes.

So one was procured.

Interestingly, it was not eaten immediately.

There was no need.

Owning the Cube did not create an obligation to consume the Cube.

Approximately two hours passed.

Then lunchtime approached.

Hunger arrived.

The Cube was still wanted.

And this time, the answer was simple.

Yes.

The Outcome

The Heavenly Cube was eaten.

Slowly.

The pastry was buttery and beautifully layered.

The chocolate cream was fresh.

Every bite was enjoyed.

The Office reports an exceptionally high level of satisfaction.

No regret was recorded.

The Heavenly Cube was, in fact,

heavenly.

Observation

The Office had initially treated the decision as one between nourishment and indulgence.

Perhaps that was the wrong problem.

Perhaps caring for ourselves includes nourishment and enjoyment.

Perhaps sustainable choices need room for foods we simply love.

And perhaps sometimes the exhausting part isn’t eating the thing—it is spending days deciding whether we are allowed to.

The Heavenly Cube had occupied considerably more thought during the two weeks in which it was repeatedly postponed than during the few minutes in which it was eventually eaten.

Nothing dramatic happened afterwards.

There was no regret.

There was simply the satisfaction of having chosen something deliberately, waited until it was genuinely wanted, and enjoyed it.

Self-love did not require the Office to say no.

It did not require an immediate yes either.

It simply created enough space to ask:

Do I still want this?

On this occasion, the answer remained yes.

Recommendation

Food does not need to become a test of virtue.

Wanting something does not require immediate action.

Waiting does not require permanent denial.

And choosing something enjoyable does not require regret afterwards.

Sometimes self-love means:

Not yet.

And sometimes, after two weeks of not yet, it means:

Yes. Today. The Cube.

—

Office of Nourishment & Energy
Department of Self Love

“A deliberate yes can be just as caring as a thoughtful no.”