What Dixie’s Saying…

Hi Colleen,

I started this journey a little over three months ago and I want to thank you for the amazing information and support I’ve gained through listening to your podcasts. For as long as I can remember I have been uncomfortable eating meat, and though deep down I’m sure I knew why, I avoided really examining the ambivalence and guilt I felt over it. I’ve eaten my share of meat off and on over the years out of convenience and sheer denial of what I was doing. Then one day a few months ago I saw a clip of Food, Inc and something in me clicked. Even though it was just a glimpse into the world I was about to uncover, I could no longer ignore the truth I’d learned. Once you know it, you KNOW it. Or, more accurately, I finally opened my eyes. I was compelled to learn as much as possible and by the end of that week had read and seen enough to know that for me, there was no going back to the way I lived before.

During that time I stumbled across a link to your blog and I’ve been smiling (and crying), but mostly smiling ever since. As a single mother of two young boys, I’ve been even more motivated to guide us to a better way of living. We are well on our way to being fully vegan at home and my hope is that over time my children will choose, based on their own consciousness, to adopt this way of life even when they are not with me. They have adjusted really well to the new foods at home and my 5 year old even requests kale and broccoli! The most amazing part of this process has been their genuine interest in understanding why I’ve made this change for us and that it’s out of love for them, for the animals and for our planet.

The ugly truths of the farming industry can be overwhelming, but what has made all the difference for me is having your words and your voice as a guide for how to live and live well. Very few days have gone by that I haven’t listened to one of your podcasts. Although the reality of the situation is always on my mind, your podcasts keep me grounded and I feel much better prepared to be a joyful vegan living in what, for me, is a very non-vegan world.

Thankfully, my mother and best friend are supportive of my decision, but even they don’t want to talk about the reasons behind it. They’re more comfortable keeping the conversation limited to what I can and can’t eat. My hope is that over time they will want to know more and when they do, I will have the knowledge, the words, and the compassion to educate them in a productive way.

I continue to learn and grow and appreciate the things I can change. I am able to do so because I no longer have to fight against that deeper part of myself who had been pointing me towards the truth all along.

You have my sincere thanks, appreciation and respect,

Dixie (a fellow kitty mommy)