Ideas pop into my head as fast as some people eat chips at a ball game. Many of them I let go of, but sometimes they keep coming back until I can't ignore them. This was the case with chocolate keys. 

Our church was having a centennial celebration, and one of the symbols being used was the key to the great oak doors. It occurred to me that chocolate would make a fun way especially for children to participate in the history. That is the extent to which I go to validate chocolate. In any case I behaved and kept my mouth shut. But then there was another meeting about the event, and the urge lifted me off my feet to speak to the director and pitch the suggestion. She loved it. 

I ordered a plastic mold online and found melting discs locally on sale for half price. When I had a free afternoon I put the chocolate in the microwave but it came out lumpy instead of smooth. I resorted to a double boiler, but the consistency was still like cookie batter. I doubted my memory of how easy and fun it was to make shaped candy. Secretly I hoped the director would forget my offer, but a few days before the celebration she emailed. 

"Will you be bringing the keys soon?"

Time to get serious. Having left the globs of chocolate in the bowl, they had now mysteriously- ok not that mysteriously- disappeared. I asked Ben if he knew where the rest of the candy was. 

"In the bag by the door."

Oh. That was where I usually hid special treats from Ben. I guess my cover was blown. Anyway I persevered in melting the discs, and mashed them rather than poured them into the key mold. Had I entered them in a county fair I knew what the judges would say. 

"Uneven consistency. Air pockets interfere with the overall look. Better luck next time."

I managed to eek out eight keys, and with enormous self restraint resisted the desire to write a letter of apology for their poor quality. I just dropped them off at the church. I fully expected her to politely misplace them. Too few. Too ugly. But then she wrote. 

"The keys are spectacular! Thank you!"

Well! If she felt that way about them, I would make more! As chance would have it a friend had posted on social media one of her frequent kind offers. 

"Anyone who needs something from the store before 4:45 today I am going."

It was 4:42. I quickly asked for chocolate discs, and sent a picture of what I meant. In less than an hour she dropped them off. It was a good brand of chocolate, and in a matter of minutes was as smooth as warm butter. I poured it into the molds, and popped the tray in the fridge. After dinner they slid out easily and I poured another set of four. Before bed I made another round. I delivered them the next morning, feeling great. I thought about the power of eleven letters. It elevated me from a sense of failure, and into a resurgence of energy. 

The impact of her gratitude is still with me. It reminds me that there are things even sweeter than chocolate, that open all kinds of doors.