Okay, so...
I come from an Italian family, so food is kind of a big deal. Needless to say, family gatherings involve a lot of cheese, meat, etc. Navigating that can be challenging. I have always struggled with being isolated from my family in terms of my dietary choices. They are typically very supportive, but I do have some relatives that are not.
I have always been close with my uncle, but he is a serious foodie. He will eat almost anything and is the furthest thing from a vegan. During his most recent visit, he discovered that I had made the transition to veganism, and he pretty much teased me non-stop. Every time I tried to explain my reasons for going vegan, he shut me down and said I was being too serious. I'm not sure if he teased me because we are close and he thought it wouldn't bother me, but eventually I got aggravated and upset.
I really don't like people pointing out what I'm eating, or teasing me about not eating meat, because it is very triggering. When I see meat and other animal foods, I immediately see the awful images in my head of them being tortured and harmed. So, I tend to not talk about being vegan very often because I don't want to invite any attention.
My mom informed shortly after my uncle left that the two of them are trying to arrange a Thanksgiving trip for the whole family, and I told her that I could not see myself doing that. I typically make most of the food around Thanksgiving anyways and my family will usually eat what I make. Needless to say, I have a lot of issues with Thanksgiving to begin with, and I know that my uncle will want to have control over the entire menu, and I will have to make an entire meal for myself that will be picked at and made fun of. I also had plans to volunteer at the local ThanksVegan feast. When I told my mom that I didn't want to go, she got upset with me and said that she didn't want any conflict. She couldn't understand why I wouldn't just go. So now my mother is upset with me.
Maybe I'm being overly sensitive, but I just cannot see myself dealing with that. Maybe if it wasn't such a food-centered holiday I would consider it, but I do not like being singled out and made fun of for something that is incredibly important to me.
How have any of you dealt with non-vegan family that doesn't respect your choices? I know that some of you out there have dealt with much worse, so any advice is much appreciated. I guess I am trying to tackle this issue now so I can be prepared before the holidays hit.
I come from an Italian family, so food is kind of a big deal. Needless to say, family gatherings involve a lot of cheese, meat, etc. Navigating that can be challenging. I have always struggled with being isolated from my family in terms of my dietary choices. They are typically very supportive, but I do have some relatives that are not.
I have always been close with my uncle, but he is a serious foodie. He will eat almost anything and is the furthest thing from a vegan. During his most recent visit, he discovered that I had made the transition to veganism, and he pretty much teased me non-stop. Every time I tried to explain my reasons for going vegan, he shut me down and said I was being too serious. I'm not sure if he teased me because we are close and he thought it wouldn't bother me, but eventually I got aggravated and upset.
I really don't like people pointing out what I'm eating, or teasing me about not eating meat, because it is very triggering. When I see meat and other animal foods, I immediately see the awful images in my head of them being tortured and harmed. So, I tend to not talk about being vegan very often because I don't want to invite any attention.
My mom informed shortly after my uncle left that the two of them are trying to arrange a Thanksgiving trip for the whole family, and I told her that I could not see myself doing that. I typically make most of the food around Thanksgiving anyways and my family will usually eat what I make. Needless to say, I have a lot of issues with Thanksgiving to begin with, and I know that my uncle will want to have control over the entire menu, and I will have to make an entire meal for myself that will be picked at and made fun of. I also had plans to volunteer at the local ThanksVegan feast. When I told my mom that I didn't want to go, she got upset with me and said that she didn't want any conflict. She couldn't understand why I wouldn't just go. So now my mother is upset with me.
Maybe I'm being overly sensitive, but I just cannot see myself dealing with that. Maybe if it wasn't such a food-centered holiday I would consider it, but I do not like being singled out and made fun of for something that is incredibly important to me.
How have any of you dealt with non-vegan family that doesn't respect your choices? I know that some of you out there have dealt with much worse, so any advice is much appreciated. I guess I am trying to tackle this issue now so I can be prepared before the holidays hit.