Burnt Chocolate Stories

My Dad, Ben Sokolec, Spring 1980 At a French coffee shop for breakfast during a recent trip to New York, Steve and I sat across from a father and his ten year old son. The dad ate his omelet while working his Blackberry. The boy concentrated on his laptop game while he nibbled a slice of toast. Neither spoke. The check came, the father paid and they left. The boy held the laptop open, still working the keys as they climbed into the car. For many years, my Dad sold wholesale meat to local butcher shops and spent more time than he cared to at the stockyards. His days began at 3 in the morning and by two in the afternoon, his workday ended. In the warm weather, he’d play a round of golf and by the time I got home from school, he’d be napping on the sofa, listening to the radio. I’d nestle alongside him in what I remember as a safety zone. We didn’t say much, but the connection was there. He’d ask about my day, my friends. Mostly we’d just listen to an afternoon baseball game or the...

Want a little magic in your life? Try Reiki (pronounced ray-key). Until last week, I knew very little about this healing system, other than it existed. Then my sister, Sandy Wallman, attended a workshop and came back raving about the experience. I had to try it for myself and am very glad I did. Reiki emerged from the Tibetan culture more than 2500 years ago. This ancient healing technique was discovered by Dr. Mikao Usui at the end of the nineteenth century and has been passed down to many Reiki Masters, one of whom is Bernadette Doran, who lives in Chicago and offers workshops and trainings in her home. In just a few hours, she transformed me from a skeptic to an enthusiast. But what is it? A physical, mental, spiritual and emotional healing system that channels energy, bringing with it balance and harmony. Every living thing, including plants and animals, contains its own personal energy. Once a person is attuned by a Reiki Master, the energy flow from the cosmos increases and...