One Year Anniversary!

I’ve sat down to write this post many times and all that I’ve written has been garbage. This is my final attempt -without 9000 edits.

Today is my vegetarian one year anniversary. I am proud.

What started as an experiment in health has grown into something powerful in my life. It has been a year of discovery, hope, sadness and joy. I now know horrifying things about the lives of the 10 billion animals that are placed on our plates annually. For better or worse, I can never “un” know them.

There are many people who are trying to change these things and they inspire me every single day. Some days I feel so small and my efforts so insignificant. However, these small acts of thought and compassion practiced daily by thousands of people do make a difference. Connect us, and we are mighty!

One of the great joys of my year was watching my mom become a vegetarian. Against all odds, living in the south with a house full of meat lovers! My dad’s wife and three daughters have made the leap too. Now my Dad has become “take it or leave it” with meat - When in Rome! As I get older and the realities of aging set in, I pray for the good health of my parents like crazy. Knowing that they are eating healthfully gives me peace.

I’ve read thousands of “comments” that call vegetarians and vegans judgmental and preachy. Maybe that’s true. I am certain that I’ve quoted some stats in social situations that have driven people to the other side of the room. Oopsy. All I can say is that something clicked when my eyes and heart opened and I allowed the facts into my brain. As this year comes to a close, so goes my mouth. The “shock & awe” of the first learning has finally become manageable. But from the core of my heart I can honestly say, I am not against you … I am just for them.

I could never have predicted the events of the past year so I hesitate to make predictions for the next. But a girl can hope, right? I hope to continue to grow my little blog and add a series of podcast interviews. I hope to visit at least one farm sanctuary this year to hold a purring turkey and take a snooze against a gentle momma cow, letting my breath sync with hers. I hope to start hosting vegetarian potluck dinners in my home. I hope to drop cheese from my diet entirely. I hope to be more “veg active” in my own community by lovingly reaching out to restaurants and grocery stores. I imagine this is more effective than quoting veal stats at parties!

Thanks and love to everyone who has offered support or shared a kind word along this journey. Grateful doesn’t even begin…

“When you begin to touch your heart or let your heart be touched, you begin to discover that it's bottomless, that it doesn’t have any resolution, that this heart is huge, vast, and limitless. You begin to discover how much warmth and gentleness is there, as well as how much space.”
- Pema Chödrön


*The piglet picture is for Angie :)