“There’s nothing like 
hot chocolate and a hug 
for making the 
nightmares go away.”
Neil Gaiman

When I was a child, and a troublesome one at that, I had a recurring nightmare that I was going to hell. Seriously! I cannot say how many times I experienced that same nocturnal scenario, but it got to the point where I didn’t want to go to sleep. I’m sure that my experience as a student in a catholic elementary school was a contributing factor. I never told anyone about this. Ever. Until now. (Yes, writing is my therapy!) 

As I sit here writing this article, another round of heavy rain is pelting the South Bay. This is good, as we still need the rain. It’s also quite cold outside, for San José standards. With this cold rain, the unusual accumulation of snow on the hills to the east, west, and south of my home continues to grow. With no rain predicted for tomorrow, the view of the snow-covered hills should be spectacular. This cold, wet weather got me thinking… about hot chocolate.

I don’t drink coffee. I don’t like it. I enjoy hot tea now and then, but my preferred hot beverage of choice has always been hot chocolate. When I decided to write about this tonight, I came across the quote by Neil Gaiman (above) which mentioned nightmares. That got me thinking about the recurring nightmare I had as a child, but I don’t want that to be the focus of my writing. I’d prefer to write about my love for hot chocolate.

Author Lisa Schroeder wrote, “There is something so comforting, so relaxing about a cup of hot chocolate. No matter how old I am, I think hot chocolate will always have the ability to take me back to special times, when all the problems in the world seemed to dissolve by consuming a simple drink.” I wish I had been aware of the healing power of hot chocolate in my childhood. Perhaps I would have slept better.

I mentioned that I do not like the taste of coffee, yet I thoroughly enjoy the aroma. So when Kathy and I married in 1985, I got used to having a coffee maker on the kitchen counter and waking up to the smell of fresh-brewed coffee. Through the years, we’ve had different types of coffee makers, but I never paid much attention, as Kathy was the only coffee drinker in the family. A few years ago, however, Kathy purchased a Keurig unit, which uses K-cup pods. I didn’t pay much attention at first, but when I learned that hot chocolate K-cup pods were available, my life changed.

The convenience of making hot chocolate with the Keurig unit can be dangerous, so I try my best not to overindulge. Tonight, however, I could think of nothing I would enjoy more than a cup of hot chocolate and a few raspberry Milano cookies. I expect that I will sleep peacefully tonight, and, hopefully, dream of only pleasant things. 

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