Don't Push Him!

The day I told Joey I was going Vegan I think he laughed out loud right in my face. Not to make fun of me or hurt my feelings but because he didn’t believe I was being serious. I have never mentioned before that I was thinking about not eating meat.

After watching hours of documentaries in bed crying on his shoulder and squeezing our dogs for dear life, going on rants on why eating meat is just so horrible for us, and begging him to STOP EATING MEAT WITH ME. He agreed to do this with me in the heat of the moment. But slowly I realized he just wasn't ready for it all like I was. Changing the only way you have ever ate is very overwhelming. Not only just because the taste but the memories you have over food. Family traditions, favorite cooked meals your grandma would make you

. Food is a precious thing and so is where it came from.

Joey has a huge heart, he loves animals, reminds me that toilet paper rolls can be recycled, and has attempted many times to grow our own vegetables and fruit even though he hasn’t been too successful with that it is his good intentions that I love about him. He is a great guy who puts effort into helping the planet in his own ways.

But he feared a lot of different things when he considered to not eat meat. What would his family say, would the guys make fun of him at work when he pulled out a tofurkey sand which, would he lose a lot of weight? I was aware of all his fears but kept pushing it on him I questioned his character and I even called him a “murderer”. THIS WAS WRONG! I really upset him, I didn’t want to upset him. I just wanted him to feel the way I felt, to see what I saw being done to these animals, I wanted him to be angry like I was at the people who allow this suffering. But he did feel all these things and he cringed when he saw it being done.

Eventually after I stopped pushing veganism on him he became curious and asked me questions, asked me to watch videos, he even asked me to make him chick pea sandwiches because he didn’t want lunch meat. That slowly turned into Joey only eating meat maybe three times a week, it turned into him doing his own research on veganism and the benefits of not eating animal products. I promise I didn’t push this on him I just stood in the corner cheering inside that he was curious and slowly the changes were showing.

Now Joey only eats meat on very rare occasions but he still does eat cheese, no eggs, and no cow milk.

I realized that by pushing Joey into something so overwhelming would only push him further away to the idea of changing to this lifestyle. I know when becoming Vegan you are extremely overwhelmed, angry, sad, and defensive. But my biggest advice is to just stay calm and breathe. Don’t push someone into something they aren’t ready to open there minds too. Once you start making changes and they see those changes they will ask.

“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end”- Robin Sharma

So those who live with someone who isn’t Vegan or Vegetarian don’t attack them. I know in your head you are thinking you know your family and friends are good people and have big hearts if they just could understand. But this isn’t about them it is about you and your journey you choose for yourself. So take in the experience and knowledge you can gain from choosing this lifestyle.

DISCLAMIER: Even if Joey ate meat everyday I will still love him the same.