Have you been counting down the days on your advent calendar to when the big guy comes down the chimney? I tried doing that until He Who Shall Not Be Named got ahead of himself on his Moo Free Calendar!
This just proves that you don't need dairy to have a good time or to celebrate with the traditions you grew up with. While I've been a staunch cheerleader of making the change to a plant-based diet and I am firmly committed to doing so, that doesn't mean that sometimes it won't pinch a little like new shoes... which brings me to the subject of our Eighth Day of Christmas --
It's Okay to Mourn Our Losses
I think going plant-based is going to be the best decision I have ever made and I'm so grateful to those who've come before me and made it so easy and accessible. People like Alicia Silverstone, Kimberly Snyder, Ella Woodward, and Angela Liddon, just to name a few. {More on that in a moment}. But at the same time, don't think for a second that I believe it's going to be a cake-walk.
It's true, just about everything we love that's animal-based does have a plant-based alternative, but they aren't all going to be exactly the same though are they? Things we grew up with and have sentimental attachments to. Things that, as adults, helped get us through the afternoon slump at work. Or maybe it's things we've made with love to serve to our family and friends because the pleasure it gives them makes us so happy.
I think the trick is creating new traditions, discovering new favorites, and letting go of the old attachments. But I don't think that means we can't miss them and even feel sad in the saying good-bye to them. Is that crazy? Is it weird that I'm sad that I can no longer have my instant foamy milk drink? It always made me feel good. It was how I started each morning in the writer's room these past few months. It was a warm treat on a cold day. The perfect thing to finish off a nice meal. And I am trying to create alternatives but they don't hold a candle to my old fave {not yet anyway}.
I know I'll get over it. I was the biggest chocoholic on the planet and I managed to say good-bye to sweets. One of my favorite foods on the planet was perogies and I haven't tasted one in nearly two years since going gluten free. I know I'm made of sturdy stuff. Even though I still crave them on occasion, I quit smoking because I knew it was better for me, better for those around me and better for the planet. {Air quality and all that}.
Choosing a plant-based lifestyle is so much better for the animals. Whenever I want to cave {I know, it's been all of a week and listen to me whinge and moan lol} and have a bit of cheese or my foamy milk drink I just have to think of this...
A baby calf being reunited with her mom. And just look how she follows Melvin through the field. Exactly like a dog {or even a little kid} would do. Then my choice makes so much sense. But that doesn't mean I can't feel a bit sad. We all have our thing...
For you it might be your bacon and eggs. If that's the case, go check out Esther The Wonder Pig or check out some baby chicks chirping in a meadow and know that you've saved their lives with your choice. But still, allow yourself to miss the things you loved. I'm sure we've all dated a person who we knew was wrong for us and even if the relationship stunk and we were happy to be free of it, that doesn't mean that we didn't miss some aspect of that person. The good news is that we got over it didn't we? We got over our high school crushes, or the bad boy, or that god-awful spiral perm. We evolve. We move on and we need to apply those life skills to this next big shift in our lives. Then one day, a month, a year, or a decade from now, we'll look back and say - Can you believe we used to eat animals? How barbaric!
But on a final note, I wanted to share an interesting fact with you - A whopping 79% of Vegans in America are women according to this post. It's a terrific article, you should read it. When Donald Trump was elected as the American president - he accomplished one terrific thing... He united women. We came out in droves to protest his presidency. And as mentioned in an earlier post - for all the shit and abuse Harvey Weinstein has hurled upon women - as they came out of hiding and spoke out against him, these brave women empowered other women to speak out. And get a load of Time Magazine's Person of the year!
This bears posting again because I think it's really important. Women are taking over the world! We are rising up. It's a time of reckoning. And if the majority of vegans are women, well then, it's only a matter of time before compassion rules and we create a world where all animals have rights and are loved and treated with care rather than as a commodity.
To that end, I've saved the best for last.
Allow me to circle this back to the fat man coming down the chimney. We all know Santa Claus and we're excited for his arrival in just a few more short days. But how about we talk about Mrs. Claus for a moment? What do you think she gets up to this time of year? If you think she's stuck in the kitchen baking cookies, think again. You know that saying that behind every great man, stands an even greater woman. {Or something like that} Well check out this story of Christmas directed by Oscar winning director Tom Hooper - and even more impressive is the fact that the person who helped make this story possible is my beautiful and very talented friend, set decorator, Sophie Phillips. She gliterally {glitter and literally, never gets old!} brought the Claus home into being! Check it out.
Get your almond milk and vegan cookies ready!
I'm so proud. Proud to have such talented female friends. Proud that someone saw Mrs. Claus for who she truly is. Proud that Alicia, Kimberly, Ella, and Angela are leading the charge toward a healthier happier planet. Proud of myself for finally getting the memo. And so hugely proud of all of you who've chosen to join me on this journey into Veganuary. If you haven't yet taken the pledge, don't hesitate to do so. You still have loads of time. Let's do this together.
With all the love in my heart.
xoxo
Shan
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