Veganism and Forgiveness
It is clear to see that all of our actions come with consequences. Everything we do really does count no matter what people say. Six years ago I decided to make a big choice for myself, I decided to live a vegan lifestyle. It began with my diet, which is where a lot of people begin but find difficulty continuing. If you think about it, veganism is simply a series of decisions; you decide to eat more vegetables, you decide to say no to that food that contains meat or dairy, you decide to stand up for yourself and your decision to not support the meat and dairy industry. For many people this isn’t an easy decision, it took me a long time to embrace veganism before following through with it. I used to have a notion of veganism as something exclusive, judgmental, nonassessable. The truth is that any choice contrary to societal norms is difficult to make and can be construed as inaccessible.
I won’t deny that there are individuals that make veganism seem tougher than it really is. There is a misconception that to be vegan you must aggressively advocate the movement and vehemently abide by the rules when in reality we should be more forgiving to ourselves and others. Speaking from personal experience, eating something that isn’t vegan happens! Intentionally or not, this choice does not define me or you. It is ok to indulge or try something new, it happens and as long as you understand the weight of your decision it is ok. Does this make you the best textbook vegan? Maybe not. This doesn’t mean you should throw out the lifestyle altogether. Like all good things, it takes practice and time. Practice with your decision making and time to forgive yourself.
Written by Anamaria Flores, Class of 2021