There’s an old TV commercial in which a woman escapes the stresses of her day by soaking in a tub of scented bath salts.
“Take me away,” she exclaims, impervious to crying children or a husband wanting to know what‘s for dinner.
Just like the woman in the tub, I have found some spots of tranquility right here, close to home. And they don’t have to cost a lot.
In fact, one of my favorite getaways has been under our noses for more than 100 years: , a fifth generation family-run chocolate shop on Tilghman Street, South Whitehall.
Trust me, I’ve escaped there many times.
I open the door, step inside and inhale a deep, fill-my-lungs breath. Ahhh. Again. The sweet aroma of dark and milk chocolate envelope my senses and send me to an inner sanctum devoid of all irritants.
I don’t even need to eat any of the finely styled confections. I can walk up and down the aisles, admiring the intricacies and variety of creams, caramels, nougats and nuts bathed in a light and dark heaven. But for the sake of science (and to complete the indulgence, inside and out), I usually partake of a sample or two that the owners are nice enough to put out.
Funny that the sugar in candy can over-stimulate a child, but the smell chocolate alone can make me mellow.
If you believe the authors of “Aromatherapy: A complete guide to the healing art,” pleasant smells such as chocolate can help a person recall other pleasant experiences. For me, that’s true with cinnamon and roasted nut smells too.
Even better, some researchers have found that eating a piece or two of dark chocolate can be beneficial to heart health and immunity.
So what have you got to lose? Go. Inhale. Get happy.