Do you have leftover Halloween candy? We have been known to save some for “personal use only.” After all, if you aren’t the kind of person who has found themselves in need of a stiff drink this week, you may well have needed to resort to heavy doses of chocolate. In recent years, I have discovered salted caramel chocolates. I have been musing on why they satisfy so many cravings – I think they give us the best of everything. While walking with some wonderful TPW friends at the lake last week, we commented on how warm the sun felt at the same time that the wind made us zip up our jackets. We liked both sensations. We can enjoy the sting of the salt with the sweetness of the caramel and the chocolate. We cherish the warmth, the concern, and the love of our friends while we look in dismay at the state of our world. We admire the golden light at the tops of the trees and experience the darkness as it comes earlier when winter draws in. The truth is that we need to contemplate the many different tastes and experiences we have while we are having them. We would not recognize peace if there were no strife. We would not love the light without the darkness, nor the sweetness without the salt. Which is to say, don’t bother saving those little boxes of Smarties. They may come in many different colours, but they all taste the same.