why I went vegan

Something occurred to me today when it was lunchtime at the conference I was attending.

Well, a couple of things actually occurred to me in quick succession, but the first was that there probably wouldn't be anything on the menu for me to eat now that I'm eating vegan. I live in Sussex County, Delaware, which has consistently been the #1 broiler producing county in the U.S. for some time. Sussex Countians aren't exactly known for denying themselves "rotting animal flesh" (as my fiance would say.)

I lamented about the probable lack of lunch options to my colleague and she promptly queried, "Since when are you vegan?"

My boss was sitting there too, her eyes wide and awaiting my response.

Even though it's been about two months since I gave up animal products, I still haven't used the word "vegan" to describe myself. Maybe it's because I had a little butter the other day or I put creamer in my coffee a few weeks back when I was still drinking coffee. Usually I say, "My partner is vegan and well, I'm trying."

Then they'll ask me why he is vegan. And I'll say "For animals. For health. For the environment." You know, the big reasons.

But my reason?

For love.

I love that man with all my heart and soul, and he is beyond passionate about his lifestyle. His choice to be vegan informs everything he does and is. And after four years of dating, when it came to whether or not we had a future together, I needed to make a choice. This is who he is. And if we were to be married and possibly have children, it needed to be who I am too.

And so, I became vegan for love. I guess, in the end, that's why we all do it: for love of animals, of being healthy, or of the planet. It's just that my decision originated in my love for just one human being. The one human being who means the entire world to me.

More to come on my journey.