Husband goes back to eating meat after 12 years

[Guest guest]

hi all,

I am hoping to get some advice on how to handle this situation.

There is a lot more to this story, but after 12 years of being

vegetarian, my husband has decided that this isn't who he is and

announced he was done being vegetarian a couple days ago. My

reaction - stunned. My vision of having a vegetarian family gone.

We have two boys, a three year old and a 4 month old, and I am really

irritated that I need to someday explain why they can't have meat but

daddy can. Now, my husband said he would not bring it into the house

and I can decide when it is okay for the kids to choose for

themselves, but we of course no longer " stand united " and I am

seriously mourning the loss of the vegetarian family I thought I had.

 

I am hoping that those of you managing to raise vegetarian kids with

a meat-eating parent might have some advice and encouragement to

offer. Has anyone had a spouse just drop a bomb like this to you?

I'm trying to think about how having parents with different values

could be a good thing for kids, so they can see that there is more

than one point of view on important topics like this. I'm not there

yet, that's for sure.

 

And I can't WAIT until the meat-eating extended family hears of this

change. I will need to be strong...

 

thanks,

Hilary

[Guest guest]

So sorry, Hilary! We're a " mixed " family here, and I'm not thrilled. Makes

it harder for me to stand firm with my OWN choices. Honesty is always best, so

if the situatiuon continues and the kids start to ask, just explain that

daddy has made different choices for himself, but that you feel it's healthier

and more humane to not follow what he is doing, and not to allow them to do

so. No blame on daddy--they'll work that one out for themselves. Anyway, that's

what I'd do. Marilyn

 

 

 

**************Get fantasy football with free live scoring. Sign up for

FanHouse Fantasy Football today.

(http://www.fanhouse.com/fantasyaffair?ncid=aolspr00050000000020)

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Wow!  This sounds like a symptom of something else.  What about being

environmentally conscious " isn't him " ?

 

If this happened to me, I would (after a cool down period), spend some quite

time with spouse, and try to (calmly, not in a confrontational manner), get to

the root of this.

 

 

“I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.” –W. C. Fields

 

--- On Wed, 7/30/08, hilbro <hilbro wrote:

 

hilbro <hilbro

Husband goes back to eating meat after 12 years

 

Wednesday, July 30, 2008, 10:24 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

hi all,

I am hoping to get some advice on how to handle this situation.

There is a lot more to this story, but after 12 years of being

vegetarian, my husband has decided that this isn't who he is and

announced he was done being vegetarian a couple days ago. My

reaction - stunned. My vision of having a vegetarian family gone.

We have two boys, a three year old and a 4 month old, and I am really

irritated that I need to someday explain why they can't have meat but

daddy can. Now, my husband said he would not bring it into the house

and I can decide when it is okay for the kids to choose for

themselves, but we of course no longer " stand united " and I am

seriously mourning the loss of the vegetarian family I thought I had.

 

I am hoping that those of you managing to raise vegetarian kids with

a meat-eating parent might have some advice and encouragement to

offer. Has anyone had a spouse just drop a bomb like this to you?

I'm trying to think about how having parents with different values

could be a good thing for kids, so they can see that there is more

than one point of view on important topics like this. I'm not there

yet, that's for sure.

 

And I can't WAIT until the meat-eating extended family hears of this

change. I will need to be strong...

 

thanks,

Hilary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

HIliary,

Don't give up. Just keep doing what you are doing, and the kids will follow

suit. Try to encourage no meat in the house. We are a mixed family also, and

this helps save some of the questions, and when we are out, they just kind of

leave my husband to his meal. although sometimes he gets annoyed, when they make

an ewww, what is that? but what can you do? just keep doing the best you can.

grown ups get to make their own choices, and you are helping to mold your

children the best you can!

good for you! maybe he'll come back, maybe not. but you have to be comfortable

in your own home as well. as i do 99% of the food prep and cooking, i'm not

making any meat. so by default, it doesn't turn up on the table. Hopefully, but

we can write about those issues as they come up, re: family visits, and such.

have a wonderful day!

you'll get through this too!

janeen

 

 

 

 

" sahmomof8 " <sahmomof8

 

Thursday, July 31, 2008 12:17:04 PM

Re: Husband goes back to eating meat after 12 years

 

 

So sorry, Hilary! We're a " mixed " family here, and I'm not thrilled. Makes

it harder for me to stand firm with my OWN choices. Honesty is always best, so

if the situatiuon continues and the kids start to ask, just explain that

daddy has made different choices for himself, but that you feel it's healthier

and more humane to not follow what he is doing, and not to allow them to do

so. No blame on daddy--they' ll work that one out for themselves. Anyway, that's

what I'd do. Marilyn

 

************ **Get fantasy football with free live scoring. Sign up for

FanHouse Fantasy Football today.

(http://www.fanhouse .com/fantasyaffa ir?ncid=aolspr00 050000000020)

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi-

I am a 20 year vegetarian/vegan (I go back and forth)

who is married to a non-vegetarian. We had some big discussions

before we had kids about this issue (we now have 3 kids). Here's how

it works in our house: since I'm home and feeding the kids most of

the time, I decide what is okay/not okay in the meat department.

Which is to say, they are all vegetarians and haven't ever tasted

meat. When daddy is eating chicken or fish (he doesn't eat beef,

which is nice), I just explain that he chooses to eat those things

and since he's an adult, he's entitled to do so. Since I'm the mommy,

I get to decide what is okay for the kids to eat, and I've decided I

don't want them eating chickens, fishies, pigs or cows. They seem to

accept this rather readily. The only time we've had an issue is when

my in-laws were here taking care of the oldest when #2 was born. FIL

gave her a piece of chicken when she asked for it. She promptly spit

it out (woo hoo!), and now they know there WILL be trouble if

something like that ever happens again.

My oldest will be starting Kinder in a few weeks. It was always my

plan to, at some point, let her start making her own decision about

being a veggie, and 5 y/o was the age I had in mind. I'd rather she

makes her own decision at a relatively young age than be under my

thumb in the food dept. and get crazy with the meat as part of

teenage rebellion. But I have explained to her that if she decides to

try it, she will probably get sick since her body doesn't, and never

has, produced the enzymes necessary for processing the meat. She has

made the right decision so far and hasn't been tempted enough to put

it in her mouth.

We really have a peaceful co-existence in our home re:meat

consumption. Feel good that your husband felt secure in telling you

about his change of heart, instead of sneaking off to Burger King

every time he gets a chance.Ultimately, we (unfortunately) can't

enforce our food choices on others, even if they are far superior!

Hope this helps!

, " hilbro " <hilbro wrote:

>

> hi all,

> I am hoping to get some advice on how to handle this situation.

> There is a lot more to this story, but after 12 years of being

> vegetarian, my husband has decided that this isn't who he is and

> announced he was done being vegetarian a couple days ago. My

> reaction - stunned. My vision of having a vegetarian family gone.

> We have two boys, a three year old and a 4 month old, and I am

really

> irritated that I need to someday explain why they can't have meat

but

> daddy can. Now, my husband said he would not bring it into the

house

> and I can decide when it is okay for the kids to choose for

> themselves, but we of course no longer " stand united " and I am

> seriously mourning the loss of the vegetarian family I thought I

had.

>

> I am hoping that those of you managing to raise vegetarian kids

with

> a meat-eating parent might have some advice and encouragement to

> offer. Has anyone had a spouse just drop a bomb like this to you?

> I'm trying to think about how having parents with different values

> could be a good thing for kids, so they can see that there is more

> than one point of view on important topics like this. I'm not

there

> yet, that's for sure.

>

> And I can't WAIT until the meat-eating extended family hears of

this

> change. I will need to be strong...

>

> thanks,

> Hilary

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Hilary,

Oh, so sorry you're going through this. We have friends who went

through the same thing about 10 years ago - he just decided that this

isn't him anymore, he's not going to do it and no one can make him. His

wife was sad but was fine with him making his own decisions - and his

own food. :-) It started that he wasn't allowed to have meat in the

house, but after a few years she changed the policy to it can be in the

house, but he has to buy it, cook it, clean it up and rid the air of the

smell of it. Due to all that, he usually eats meat that he gets as take

out, rather than cooking it. He has admitted that one day he will find

it difficult to talk to their son (now 2-years-old) about why he eats

some animals. We'll see what happens.

 

In the meantime, we deal with a similar thing here at our house - not

about vegetarianism, but about buying organic. My partner/husband will

buy non-organic things that I won't buy, and our 3-year-old son said to

me the other day, " if me and Daddy are out, and it's not organic, we

just buy it anyway. " I told him that Daddy and I just do some things

differently, and that's okay, but I won't buy the thing that's not

organic. He understood immediately and that was the end of that - no

judgment on who is making the " right " decision, just that we make

different decisions and that's how it is. We do other things

differently, too, so he's learning the diversity within our own family.

Yes, dang it, I wish we would be on the same page about buying/eating

organic as much as possible, but maybe someday.

 

Good luck and breathe deeply! Maybe your husband will change his mind

back again - I'll be hoping for you. :-)

Lorraine

 

 

On

Behalf Of hilbro

Wednesday, July 30, 2008 8:24 PM

 

Husband goes back to eating meat after 12 years

 

hi all,

I am hoping to get some advice on how to handle this situation.

There is a lot more to this story, but after 12 years of being

vegetarian, my husband has decided that this isn't who he is and

announced he was done being vegetarian a couple days ago. My

reaction - stunned. My vision of having a vegetarian family gone.

We have two boys, a three year old and a 4 month old, and I am really

irritated that I need to someday explain why they can't have meat but

daddy can. Now, my husband said he would not bring it into the house

and I can decide when it is okay for the kids to choose for

themselves, but we of course no longer " stand united " and I am

seriously mourning the loss of the vegetarian family I thought I had.

 

I am hoping that those of you managing to raise vegetarian kids with

a meat-eating parent might have some advice and encouragement to

offer. Has anyone had a spouse just drop a bomb like this to you?

I'm trying to think about how having parents with different values

could be a good thing for kids, so they can see that there is more

than one point of view on important topics like this. I'm not there

yet, that's for sure.

 

And I can't WAIT until the meat-eating extended family hears of this

change. I will need to be strong...

 

thanks,

Hilary

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

My husband eats fish (we call him a pescatarian) and occasionally other

meat. The good thing is, that my boys want NOTHING to do with meat!

In fact, they shame him when he does eat 'stinky fish' in the house

(which he prepares himself). They do all the nagging and criticizing

for me. And I don't feel like I taught them how to do it, they just

are repulsed by the idea of meat, and that's a good thing!!!

 

BTW, my boys are age 5, 3 1/2 and almost 2.

 

I am a little concerned about my oldest starting kingergarten this

September, and he is exposed to more people eating meat. But, so far,

he is an adamant vegetarian.

[Guest guest]

>> Wow!  This sounds like a symptom of something else.  What about

being environmentally conscious " isn't him " ?

 

I agree.

 

Hilary, have you discussed with your husband his reasons for being

vegetarian in the first place? Environment today? Environment his

children will inherit? His health? His family/children's health?

World Hunger? Compassion for Animals?

 

Now to go out on a limb ... creak .... would your husband consider

going vegan? You know him well. Is he the kind of guy that would

rather go all the way or not go at all?

 

Eating a vegetarian diet, he has still been consuming animal products

(milk, cheese, eggs, butter, yogurt, sour cream, etc.), perhaps a

lot of them. For an " all in " kind of person, this may leave him

feeling less than fully committed to his goals of making things

better -- environment, health, hunger, animal welfare.

 

Just speaking as 1 guy, I know that when I was vegetarian and

learned about the positive impacts of adopting a totally plant-based

diet, it was like catching a 2nd wind. I was motivated by the

challenge and made the switch easily and happily. Although going

vegan hasn't fixed any of my countless personal flaws, it has given

me greater peace of mind knowing that I've better aligned my

behaviors and principles.

 

So, maybe your husband is feeling sort of stuck in a rut, and maybe

going forward would be the best way out. It might make him feel

even better knowing that he's taking the lead and bringing the rest

of the family along.

 

Good luck finding a solution that works for all of you!

 

- Alan

[Guest guest]

If you can't change his mind, make sure he at least only eats organic

meat. Make sure your children get an unbiased education on the subject

(when they are old enough). They need to see both sides of the

arguement in order to make their own educated decisions. Your children

may suprise you.

>

[Guest guest]

Well just an idear that I got. Since he has been eating this way for

12 years, maby he dont feel good eating this way anymore, maby he is

craving meat beacuse he is lacking nutriens ?

 

There has to be a logical reason for him to stop after that many

years. Maby getting him testet to se if he is lacking vitamines,

minerals, aminoacids, fattyacids a.s.o.

There are many who gives up being vegitarian or vegan becaus they

just dont fell good anymore. They start to crave chees, dairy, eggs

or meat because they are lacking nutriens.

Finding out if he is lacking nutriens, then you can find out how to

correct it. Ofcourse if he still insist then there is noting to do

about it, it is his body and he has to listen to what it says.

 

Just an idear :-)

Kristine

 

 

, sahmomof8 wrote:

>

> So sorry, Hilary! We're a " mixed " family here, and I'm not

thrilled. Makes

> it harder for me to stand firm with my OWN choices. Honesty is

always best, so

> if the situatiuon continues and the kids start to ask, just

explain that

> daddy has made different choices for himself, but that you feel

it's healthier

> and more humane to not follow what he is doing, and not to allow

them to do

> so. No blame on daddy--they'll work that one out for themselves.

Anyway, that's

> what I'd do. Marilyn

>

>

>

> **************Get fantasy football with free live scoring. Sign up

for

> FanHouse Fantasy Football today.

> (http://www.fanhouse.com/fantasyaffair?ncid=aolspr00050000000020)

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Alan,

 

It is so good to be in touch with people on this list who have the

same values as I do and can understand how painful this has been. I

was actually doing pretty well the last two days, but now, after my

husband and son just left for the Packers Family Fun Night, I am

feeling really bad again. I feel hurt and betrayed knowing he will

likely have his first meat-eating experience today. Logically I can

deal with this, but emotionally I'm still a wreck (I've just

discovered).

 

You had great questions Alan, and to answer them...

 

I have asked him why he was a vegetarian. His answer - initially he

truly was on board with the animal rights/health, etc. but over the

years he just hasn't been liking the stigma attached to being

vegetarian. He doesn't like to have special needs every time we go

to someone's house, and he's felt repressed all of these years. He

just discovered all of this a week ago, or at least figured out how

to put this in words. He claims that this is the reason he has been

kind of a crummy husband (won't go into much detail, but will

summarize it as being more self-centered and not being very

emotionally available throughout the years). He says " things are

going to change for the good now, " and that I just have to wait and

see that he is right. I just can't wrap my mind around what you eat

determines your personality, that's for sure.

 

So I asked him if he is embarrassed to be a vegetarian. He says no,

that it just isn't him. And that every time he has to refuse meat he

feels like it doesn't make sense to do this if he isn't feeling right

as a vegetarian. I can understand this for sure as I am a person who

believes in authenticity and truthfulness. What I don't understand

is why the heck he realizes this 11 years into the marriange! This

was one of my must-have's in a husband back when I was looking for

the right guy. It makes me re-evaluate who I thought he was all of

this time.

 

Yes, I do think there is something else going on. Maybe he just

feels crummy about himself and he is trying to find something to

blame it on. He is a very stubborn person so I don't think I can do

anything about this other than stand back and watch what happens.

 

I myself would love to become vegan and have a lot of respect for

those who are. I know there would be no way my husband would be on

board with that, ever, unfortunately. A big problem, meat-eating or

not - is that he has many strange food aversions (no onions unless

it's blended in a soup, only canned baby peas (not frozen or fresh),

absolutely can't mix anything (so casseroles are out), and no

tomatoes unless it's in pizza sauce, to name just a few. So he has

been a boca/morning star freezer food vegetarian for the most part.

He does eat some vegetables, but not enough to survive on as a vegan.

 

you did bring up his level of commitment in a way that might apply,

however. I think that over the years, daily life and conversation

has really not included much about the reasons for being vegetarian.

I can see that if he isn't thinking about all of the cruelty and

other issues caused by eating meat, he has less of a commitment to

the cause. As the years passed and our family was started, I

certainly haven't spent as much time dwelling on why I am a

vegetarian - it just is who I am and how I live. One good thing

about my husband's change of heart, I have now decided that I need to

become more passionate about vegetarianism again. Maybe if I have

this so fresh in my mind again, it will rub off on him. I started re-

reading some of my old books on this subject, but then it hit me that

these books are now 20 years old. Any good reads with recent

research and animal welfare situations you can suggest will be

appreciated. I don't have much time to get out and shop around for a

good book these days (amazon.com is a favorite here).

 

WOW, so this was obviously therapy for Hilary. I should probably go

edit it but now that the baby is crying I have no time to do anything

but hit " send. " I apologize for any sore hind ends from sitting so

long to read this!

 

Hilary

 

, " Alan " <soy_decaf_latte wrote:

>

> >> Wow!  This sounds like a symptom of something else.  What about

> being environmentally conscious " isn't him " ?

>

> I agree.

>

> Hilary, have you discussed with your husband his reasons for being

> vegetarian in the first place? Environment today? Environment his

> children will inherit? His health? His family/children's health?

> World Hunger? Compassion for Animals?

>

> Now to go out on a limb ... creak .... would your husband consider

> going vegan? You know him well. Is he the kind of guy that would

> rather go all the way or not go at all?

>

> Eating a vegetarian diet, he has still been consuming animal

products

> (milk, cheese, eggs, butter, yogurt, sour cream, etc.), perhaps a

> lot of them. For an " all in " kind of person, this may leave him

> feeling less than fully committed to his goals of making things

> better -- environment, health, hunger, animal welfare.

>

> Just speaking as 1 guy, I know that when I was vegetarian and

> learned about the positive impacts of adopting a totally plant-

based

> diet, it was like catching a 2nd wind. I was motivated by the

> challenge and made the switch easily and happily. Although going

> vegan hasn't fixed any of my countless personal flaws, it has given

> me greater peace of mind knowing that I've better aligned my

> behaviors and principles.

>

> So, maybe your husband is feeling sort of stuck in a rut, and maybe

> going forward would be the best way out. It might make him feel

> even better knowing that he's taking the lead and bringing the rest

> of the family along.

>

> Good luck finding a solution that works for all of you!

>

> - Alan

>

[Guest guest]

Hilary - I'm not sure how old The China Study is, but it only took me

reading about 1/3 of it to convince me to become vegan. At first I

became vegan for health reasons mentioned in the book and now my

veganism is about 90% health reasons and 10% animal cruelty. One

thing I've had to get over is that most people I've met think vegans

are " PETA lovin' freaks " (no offense to PETA!) and people are

surprised when I tell them I mostly do it because of health reasons.

 

, " hilbro " <hilbro wrote:

>

> Thanks Alan,

>

> It is so good to be in touch with people on this list who have the

> same values as I do and can understand how painful this has been. I

> was actually doing pretty well the last two days, but now, after my

> husband and son just left for the Packers Family Fun Night, I am

> feeling really bad again. I feel hurt and betrayed knowing he will

> likely have his first meat-eating experience today. Logically I can

> deal with this, but emotionally I'm still a wreck (I've just

> discovered).

>

> You had great questions Alan, and to answer them...

>

> I have asked him why he was a vegetarian. His answer - initially he

> truly was on board with the animal rights/health, etc. but over the

> years he just hasn't been liking the stigma attached to being

> vegetarian. He doesn't like to have special needs every time we go

> to someone's house, and he's felt repressed all of these years. He

> just discovered all of this a week ago, or at least figured out how

> to put this in words. He claims that this is the reason he has been

> kind of a crummy husband (won't go into much detail, but will

> summarize it as being more self-centered and not being very

> emotionally available throughout the years). He says " things are

> going to change for the good now, " and that I just have to wait and

> see that he is right. I just can't wrap my mind around what you eat

> determines your personality, that's for sure.

>

> So I asked him if he is embarrassed to be a vegetarian. He says no,

> that it just isn't him. And that every time he has to refuse meat he

> feels like it doesn't make sense to do this if he isn't feeling right

> as a vegetarian. I can understand this for sure as I am a person who

> believes in authenticity and truthfulness. What I don't understand

> is why the heck he realizes this 11 years into the marriange! This

> was one of my must-have's in a husband back when I was looking for

> the right guy. It makes me re-evaluate who I thought he was all of

> this time.

>

> Yes, I do think there is something else going on. Maybe he just

> feels crummy about himself and he is trying to find something to

> blame it on. He is a very stubborn person so I don't think I can do

> anything about this other than stand back and watch what happens.

>

> I myself would love to become vegan and have a lot of respect for

> those who are. I know there would be no way my husband would be on

> board with that, ever, unfortunately. A big problem, meat-eating or

> not - is that he has many strange food aversions (no onions unless

> it's blended in a soup, only canned baby peas (not frozen or fresh),

> absolutely can't mix anything (so casseroles are out), and no

> tomatoes unless it's in pizza sauce, to name just a few. So he has

> been a boca/morning star freezer food vegetarian for the most part.

> He does eat some vegetables, but not enough to survive on as a vegan.

>

> you did bring up his level of commitment in a way that might apply,

> however. I think that over the years, daily life and conversation

> has really not included much about the reasons for being vegetarian.

> I can see that if he isn't thinking about all of the cruelty and

> other issues caused by eating meat, he has less of a commitment to

> the cause. As the years passed and our family was started, I

> certainly haven't spent as much time dwelling on why I am a

> vegetarian - it just is who I am and how I live. One good thing

> about my husband's change of heart, I have now decided that I need to

> become more passionate about vegetarianism again. Maybe if I have

> this so fresh in my mind again, it will rub off on him. I started re-

> reading some of my old books on this subject, but then it hit me that

> these books are now 20 years old. Any good reads with recent

> research and animal welfare situations you can suggest will be

> appreciated. I don't have much time to get out and shop around for a

> good book these days (amazon.com is a favorite here).

>

> WOW, so this was obviously therapy for Hilary. I should probably go

> edit it but now that the baby is crying I have no time to do anything

> but hit " send. " I apologize for any sore hind ends from sitting so

> long to read this!

>

> Hilary

>

> , " Alan " <soy_decaf_latte@> wrote:

> >

> > >> Wow! This sounds like a symptom of something else. What about

> > being environmentally conscious " isn't him " ?

> >

> > I agree.

> >

> > Hilary, have you discussed with your husband his reasons for being

> > vegetarian in the first place? Environment today? Environment his

> > children will inherit? His health? His family/children's health?

> > World Hunger? Compassion for Animals?

> >

> > Now to go out on a limb ... creak .... would your husband consider

> > going vegan? You know him well. Is he the kind of guy that would

> > rather go all the way or not go at all?

> >

> > Eating a vegetarian diet, he has still been consuming animal

> products

> > (milk, cheese, eggs, butter, yogurt, sour cream, etc.), perhaps a

> > lot of them. For an " all in " kind of person, this may leave him

> > feeling less than fully committed to his goals of making things

> > better -- environment, health, hunger, animal welfare.

> >

> > Just speaking as 1 guy, I know that when I was vegetarian and

> > learned about the positive impacts of adopting a totally plant-

> based

> > diet, it was like catching a 2nd wind. I was motivated by the

> > challenge and made the switch easily and happily. Although going

> > vegan hasn't fixed any of my countless personal flaws, it has given

> > me greater peace of mind knowing that I've better aligned my

> > behaviors and principles.

> >

> > So, maybe your husband is feeling sort of stuck in a rut, and maybe

> > going forward would be the best way out. It might make him feel

> > even better knowing that he's taking the lead and bringing the rest

> > of the family along.

> >

> > Good luck finding a solution that works for all of you!

> >

> > - Alan

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hilary, I think that the introspection you are doing is really

healthy. Other people can be like mirrors reflecting a bit of

ourselves, although sometimes more like those fun house mirrors!

 

There's this Zen riddle about how to keep a sieve full of water,

without letting it spill out. Pause. Pause. (Giving you time to

solve it yourself.)

 

The solution is to fully immerse the sieve in the water. And so it

is with commitment to a cruelty-free life. If we just pour in good

intentions every now and then, they can drain out and leave our

lives empty.

 

Reading some recent books is a great way to renew and expand your

commitment. I like the books recommended by others already. You'll

probably want to read several. Consider Will Tuttle's, " The World

Peace Diet " if you want to be reassured that your diet matters a

whole lot.

 

Your husband might enjoy Howard Lyman's, " Mad Cowboy " . It's a

folksy read that hits all the key points, told from the point of

view of a former cattle rancher.

 

But nothing beats hanging out with like-minded friends and family.

If you don't have any in your inner circle, maybe you can join some

local groups that go out to dinners, distribute " start kit "

pamphlets, etc.

 

Remember that you, too, are a mirror. Without judgement, just being

your joyous, unburdened self, you reflect the values that you want

to reinforce in your family.

 

- Alan