I have an addiction. A chocolate addiction.

Semi-sweet morsels, specifically. I keep a bag in the fridge door, another in the freezer. I grab a handful when I walk past, or three when I’m stressed. They’ve become my reset button, my tiny ritual that says, “you’re fine, keep going.”

Today needed more than a handful. Convenient Care before breakfast with our first sinus and ear infection of the school year. My oldest is miserable, me already feeling heavy before coffee. Add to that the check I finally mailed for Dan’s party back in May. Who even writes checks anymore? If it had been PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App, it would’ve been done in June. Instead, it sat on my to-do list for months while my friend politely reminded me again and again. Guilty? A little. But also, life has been full.

And while I was on a roll, I got my daughter’s ortho appointment scheduled too. Yes, braces. I’m not ready for that yet. Another reminder of how fast time is moving, and how much these little milestones tug at my heart.

The truth is, we all procrastinate. Sometimes it’s not laziness, it’s survival. You handle what’s on fire ,and the rest waits. That check is out of my hands now, the braces appointment is on the books, and I get to let it go. Chocolate helps with that too.

So today I’m owning both—the stress that makes me grab another handful, and the small wins like finally sending the check and scheduling the appointment.