Good Day,
I am happy to say that it appears to have worked. I did the whole “Changing of the Purse” thing on April first and lo and behold the weather has become quite spring like. We have had three days of glorious sun and warmish weather. No, not over 10 degrees Celsius, but a respectable 7 or 8. The huge snow bank on the front of our property has diminished somewhat. We heard the geese flying overhead one morning.
In the afternoon, the gleeful voices of children playing pierced the warm air.
My husband likes to say that it is downhill to the spring. So everyone is happy. But, as I have mentioned before, I like the winter (this has not always been so!) and I have really enjoyed this winter because it was an old fashioned winter with lots of snow, cold and sun.
Being vegan and advocating for nonhuman animals is helping me to appreciate the present moment, warm or cold. We often say that we are thankful for what we have and that the small stuff doesn’t really matter. Sometimes we have a hard time living what we say. And, I am no exception.
But something is definitely different–with me, I mean! I don’t really know how exactly to express it in words. It seems odd to me to feel peaceful when I am spending a lot of my time becoming more educated about the suffering of nonhuman animals at our hands.
It is a very depressing subject and the goal of waking people up to their own compassion seems so monumental that it will never be achieved in my lifetime. The knowledge that money is the main motivation for continuing this barbaric practice feels very dirty to me.
But yet, I feel quite happy ( I do have down days). Is it hypocritical of me? Am I insensitive to what is going on? Am I only interested in how I feel? I don’t believe so.
Dr. Will Tuttle
suggests that when we bring compassion for all living beings into our lives, we bring with it, inner peace. From that inner peace, flow all good things. He suggests that our health will improve and our planet will heal. All because we are making different, kinder choices.
So, for me, even though our nonhuman companions on this earth have not been freed from slavery, torture and murder, I feel that I am living more authentically. I am able to revel in the small victories that really are huge victories on the part of nonhuman animal advocates. I am so happy that there will be more and of these victories and that they will come at a faster rate.
There will freedom for the orcas at SeaWorld.
SeaWorld and other zoos of its ilk will close their doors.
There will be justice for dolphins like Angel, held in captivity away from their families.
Nonhuman animals will no longer be bred for our use.
So, perhaps the way I am feeling is about aligning myself and my daily life with my beliefs. In my small world, the small victories that happen in this regard feel like big miracles to me.
For example, I was feeling pretty crummy about the fact that I am taking a medication that is manufactured using hormones from nonhuman animals. I found out recently that this is not the case. It used to be, but now the med is synthetic and actually has been for some time. Do your research, Anne!
Sadly, I cannot do anything about the certain cruel use of nonhuman animals medical labs, but at least the drug is synthetic now. That feels good to me–small victory!
I was also sad when I learned that many of my beloved dishes are bone china,
which means they are made from ground up cattle bones. I had no idea, up until recently, that bone china is actually 50% bone. But what can one do when faced with an unsavory bit of knowledge? The bell cannot be un-rung. I cannot forget that I know it.
I don’t feel right about destroying the dishes in some kind of pointless ritual. How can I turn a negative into a positive? I decided to sell some of the dishes. At the suggestion of my daughter, I will donate the proceeds from it to a nonhuman Animal Shelter or Sanctuary.
I actually have $85.00 set aside for this purpose. It is a small amount of money, but if it can a difference, however small, in the life of a nonhuman animal then I think it counts–small victory!
While endeavoring to advertise these items on Kijiji I discovered that a set of dishes belonging to my mom, are not bone china.
I was prepared to sell them despite what they mean to me. I am pleased to know that I don’t have to–small victory!
GRAMMIE ANNIE’S VEGAN VIEW
I believe that knowledge is power, for good or bad.
I believe that turning away from what we know in our hearts to be true is never healthy.
I believe that we already possess the compassion we need to free the nonhuman animals.
I believe that change is here and that more change is coming.
I know that I want to be part of that change.
Until next time,
May all beings be happy and free
Anne
SMALL VICTORIES IN THIS VEGAN’S WORLD