Mom Vegan Love | Making the Connection

Here’s our sweet Leif. We got almost 13 years with this kind soul and we miss him dearly. He was such a sensitive dog and a healer at heart. He could sense if I was sad from across the room and his cure was to come and sit in my lap until all the tears were gone. He also LOVED food, and would come running from a deep slumber if I was just thinking about entering the kitchen. Haha! He was my first baby and made me realize that I was strong and mature enough to become a mother. So grateful to have shared my life with him.

I’ve had the pleasure of sharing my life with dogs since childhood and they have taught me so much about love and compassion. The companionship and support I’ve gotten from my sweethearts have carried me through so many ups and downs. They lift me up when I feel low and greet me with enthusiasm every time I open the door after a long day. They can sense when I need extra cuddles and help me get back into alignment. The love and hope shine through their eyes. It’s undeniable.

We got almost 12 years with our catlike beagle/coon hound Lars. He was so smart and liked to get his brother Leif into trouble. He would dig his way out of the backyard and then stroll around to the front of the house and knock on the door with one paw. Then he would just let us know that “Hey, Leif ran away again”. Haha! He loved us and Leif so much but had no patience for anyone else. He would sing along with the church bells outside of our house and he liked to cuddle and was my best running buddy. His passing came as shock to us and he left a huge void. We miss him so much.

They’ve been my best friends. And my sweet Ludde, Leif, and Lars, who are no longer in this world, have left a huge void in my heart. Thinking of them makes my eyes tear up in an instant. Every time. I miss them so much it hurts.

Sven is still a huge part of our family and he’s just the kindest, sweetest soul. We adopted him a little over a year ago and he made himself right at home. He’s also made great friends with all of our neighbors since he loves to just take off on little adventures. Haha! He’s so friendly and always makes new human buddies who are kind enough to give him a lift back home. He’s smart and playful and is learning how to be a dog again after spending a lot of time at the shelter. We hope to get many more years with our sweetheart.

Just by looking at my sweet dogs, I’ve learned to see right away what they need. They communicate with their eyes, ears and their whole cute little bodies. It took me years to see these same traits in all animals. I used to love going to the zoo, but I always left with a knot in my stomach after seeing the animals in their cages. The ones that were able to get through to me were the primates, the elephants, tigers, and lions. They knew they were trapped. I could see it in their eyes even though I kept ignoring it.

Leif and Lars were the absolute best of friends, brothers at heart. They passed away just 3 weeks apart from each other. Fridays are still hard for us, since that’s the day they both made the transition. We’d often find them sleeping just like this, all cuddled up. So much love!

I was offered a chance to work in a slaughterhouse when I was younger and I turned it down. I knew if I saw the truth I would no longer be able to keep my blinders up. Watching the movie Forks over Knives was life-changing for me. I could stop eating animals, stop lying to myself that the animals on my plate were any different than my sweet dogs next to me. Plants have all the protein (and fiber) that I need to thrive. Why had no one told me that?

Lars loved to sit in chairs, just like we do. He enjoyed sitting in his own chair at the dinner table or curled up in one of the softer arm chairs or on the very top of the couch. He loved to go for car rides and was always ready for a new adventure.

My hope with this blog is to help others make the connection. Maybe by sharing my story of how we went from being complete carnivores to vegans at nearly 40 can inspire others to give it a shot. This way of life is amazing and I can’t wait to tell you all about it – including how incredible the food can be. I’ll be writing plenty about that, too 🙂 Lots of love to all of you and thanks for your support! Wish you all the best!

Love, Kristine

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