Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Valentine or Vegantine?

There's nothing wrong with Valentine's Day.  


I'm all in favor of a holiday that celebrates love.  The problem is that over the years it's been hijacked to only focus on romantic love, and cultural/marketing engines have defined a standard of perfection that we can't possibly live up to, and many of us utterly reject.  Love is different for everyone - why should we try to fit ourselves into one-size-fits-all?


I knew things had gone too far when I heard on NPR this morning that the Waffle House, White Castle and Chick-fil-A restaurants were accepting reservations for Valentine's Day dinners.  I understand that times are tough for so many people.  But are people so desperate to try to live up to the standard of a candlelit romantic dinner that they'd settle for these money-making charades?


My advice (for what it's worth) is to celebrate love.  I have no data to support this, but I believe vegans have extra capacity for compassion, so be a Vegantine!  Put a note in your child's lunchbox today that tells them you love them.  Pick them up from school early and do something they'd enjoy.  Give your dogs extra treats, brush your cats.  If you have a romantic someone, cook them a delicious vegan meal or dessert (lots of delicious options in The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau...I've been dying to try the No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie) or how about a candlelit massage?  Better yet, give love to someone who doesn't usually get to experience it: volunteer to walk dogs at a shelter or go hug a cow at a farm animal sanctuary.  


There are infinite expressions of love.  Find your own.

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