Photo by Frédéric Dupont on Unsplash
I wouldn’t say I’m a vegetarian, but I do draw the line at eating lamb. There was a time in my life when asked what I wanted to eat for my birthday dinner I would say lamb. I liked the taste of it. It was one of my mother’s favorite meals when she was younger. Every night, no matter what anybody else was eating she would have a lamb chop. I sort of wonder about the privilege in her family if she got what she wanted every single night.
In my family, it was eat whatever is on the table because that’s what is for dinner. Such a difference in viewpoints.
Somewhere along the line, I stopped asking for lamb, I stopped eating it until now it is almost repulsive to me to eat lamb. Not because it doesn’t taste good. It’s because of the little faces. Those were babies. Lamb, not mutton. These were babies and I don’t eat babies.
Now, I will eat chicken and beef and pork. Mostly the beef and pork are ground into sausage or hamburger and very rarely as steaks or chops. Again, there is a part of me that doesn’t like this situation.
Hey, it’s what is for dinner.
I am beginning to think of the animals before I eat them and to say thank for their sacrifice. I feel your pain and it saddens me that I am eating you. Again. They have consciousness the same as I do. They have a connection to spirit the same as I do. I’m having a little trouble here.
And, then I think of the vegetables. Have you ever heard a plant scream? I am always apologizing to the plants out on my patio or on my windowsill. I am afraid to ask for a connection with them because I am a human and feel they have been ill-served. By me. Because I don’t water them. Because I leave them in the hot sun. Because. Just because.
This particular problem of mine is not new. It is a situation I revisit periodically. I feel so responsible.
I feel the need to visit with a Shaman. I was thinking this yesterday when I wrote of a Shamanic journey. Now, I’ve got something to talk about. To seek guidance about. I need to live. I need to thrive. But I don’t want to do it at the cost of something else, of somebody else. It makes me sad.
Blessings.
Oh, hi.
Yes, our felicitations to you as well. Do you mind?
No. That's fine. This is your part, and I did promise you.
Well, you did think you were pretty much finished with this article, did you not?
Yes, but that's okay. I've got the time, plus you've always helped me out.
Would you care for some advice?
Yes, I would.
You realize that you must eat in order to function. You must eat in order to live.
Right.
Well, why are you feeling guilty about eating?
I don't know.
We would suggest that rather than saying a grace before you eat that you spend time earlier in the day just communing with the animal and plant kingdom. Do, as you do for Spirit, and just wait for a representative to come and talk with you. Our feeling is you would eventually feel better. And, no, we are not going to tell you what to expect or what you should feel. That is entirely up to you. Just be your usual friendly self and welcome the companionship.
Thanks.
You are welcome.
So, this is just a note about what happened above. The section called The Last Word is something I have been doing for the last few months with articles I write at Medium and at Substack. This is where my guide Seth or an interested party from Spirit has a place to talk. I put what Spirit has to say in a bold italic font and my part of the conversation remains in a plain font. This is the first time that I created a little jpeg for The Last Word. I hope you like it.
Pauline