Not Always Easy

Hi Darlings!

How have the first few days of the new year been for you? I'm not sure how you felt but I was sort of expecting a magical shift when the clock struck midnight on the first day of 2018 - and then nothing happened. I was still me. Still stressed about the same old stuff. Still dealing with the challenges that I was working on prior to the fireworks.

Still, here's hoping as the month progresses, the oppressive energy of that December Mercury retrograde {and pretty much all of 2017 let's be honest} will lift and things will lighten up.

If you've been popping by here, you may be aware that in December I chose to take the vegan challenge by signing up for Veganuary and as I was educating myself or as I've taken to saying: I got vegucated, I started the journey earlier than expected, December 10th to be precise. At that point I was on hiatus from the writing room and was headed to a cottage for the holidays. I planned well, shopped right, and made some incredible food and thought to myself, this ain't so bad. 

But now that I'm back in the city, gearing up to get back to work and all that that involves, I've had to start thinking -- what am I gonna take for lunch? I need to plan for snacks! I still haven't found a decent foamy milk drink to replace my favorite instant dairy one. Then whoa is me {let's be reasonable here - I say whoa, but it's not that bad. I'm taking creative liberties, just go with it} I was digging through my work bag and I found a left over pouch of my cappuccino! Dude, I wanted it. Everything in me said just have it. It was left over from before. It was already purchased. The cow already suffered. You want to now make her suffering in vain by tossing it out? On and on my nasty little mind went!

You'll be pleased to know I did NOT drink it. I didn't throw it out either though and here's why. You can get to watching all these documentaries and learn about the horrific conditions and swear off every animal product you've ever had -- but A) you can still be tempted by your old faves and risk falling back into old ways of being... 

and B) What a great reminder not to judge those who have not yet chosen a plant-based diet.

I did say that I wanted compassion to be my virtue for January and that doesn't just apply to having compassion for animals. It means having compassion for myself in moments of weakness and compassion for those making different choices than me.

With that crisis behind me, I went to a doctor's appointment that I had and planned to hit the grocery store afterwards to pick up some things for tonight's dinner. I didn't think to eat before I left, knowing it would just be a quick appointment. What I hadn't counted on was that the Doctor would be running late. {I know what you're thinking. Really Shan? Doctors are always late, and where are you going with this damed story anyway?} Getting there. Patience Noble Reader.

As I left my doctor's office, I was starving and thought how easy it would be to just grab something on the way to the grocery store, but it seemed like every restaurant and take-away joint between the two only had animal products on the menu. It occurred to me that I am going to have to be a helluva lot more of a planner because vegan gluten-free is not always going to be an option. It's going to take thought and a bit more work as I learn the ropes, because in spite of how committed I feel to this lifestyle shift, I'm still a newbie! It's not always going to be easy. But... all we can ever do is do the best we can with what we have and from where we are, right? Right.

All 'a you new vegan beauties out there, stick with it. Your health, our planet and the lives of precious loving animals are so worth it!

Love, 
Shan