One of the best feelings is the feeling of being understood and accepted. Sometimes I feel that part of being vegan means NOT being understood but continually striving to be understood. Last night, I did not feel that way. A few months ago, I told my best friend that I was vegan and from the second I told her she was purely accepting, understanding, and interested... even if she herself wasnt vegan. We used to have dinner together on a pretty regular basis and I would generally bring some of my own food because she didnt really know how to cook vegan because she is very much a meat eater. Yesterday, I went over to her new apartment and was going to eat dinner over there and she said, "Don't bring anything with you... I bought spinach and garbanzo bean patties and made cous cous for dinner for us". To most, that might seem like a small gesture, but for me... it meant the world. I constantly seek to be accepted in my lifestyle and rarely find people that will not only ACCEPT it, but ACCOMMODATE it. I was so thankful for that.
We spent the next several hours talking about life, love, politics, and everything in between.. and it just flowed. It was wonderful! I'm thankful for accepting and understanding people, even if they don't have the same views as me. Its my mission in life to express love and compassion, understanding and acceptance, to those who are different than myself. I may not always understand WHY someone values something, or WHY they do it... but I must remember to respect their decisions and accept them. My being vegan is a constant reminder that though my views may differ from the general public, I still yearn for respect and acceptance on the most basic level.
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