The Gay Vegans

Living in gratitude

Although I try to live in gratitude every day, being on vacation and on the beach with my husband, a place I love to be, gives me yet another opportunity to embrace gratitude. By the way, the photo is of one of our favorite beaches, Torrey Pines State Beach, in San Diego.

In the past several months there has been a lot on my plate, a lot on my emotional plate. We moved into our new home which is definitely something to be grateful for, and it came with its own challenges. And although this isn’t a surprise to us, with four senior companion animals, each of them has had their own health issues which have effected us both emotionally and financially.

With so much going on in the world Mike and I try to remember how good we have it. We don’t even worry about the basics, as far as food, water, and a roof over our heads. Regarding the food part, being vegan and being in the vegan capital of the world is something that not only adds to the wonderfulness of our lives but additionally is something we are grateful for.

Living in gratitude for me means to always, or as often as I can, remember all I have in my life. In my recovery program I learned to create gratitude lists, first when life felt tough but later as part of my daily actions. Items that typically make the list are my relationship with my Higher Power, my sobriety, my husband, my activist community/family, etc. I’m not writing about the gratitude list as a suggestion to you, just to say how I incorporate gratitude into my life.

As you read this post, I also want you to know that I am grateful for all of the support and kindness we get from people who read this blog. It means the world to me when a reader says they voted for the first time, tried being vegan for a day, or called one of their elected officials. I have always wanted this blog to be about building bridges and promoting animal rights and human rights, and the feedback I get from you the reader tells me that this is happening.

Thank you for reading.

About Dan Hanley

Gay and vegan in the burbs (of Los Angeles). I blog about veganism, equality, compassion, activism, politics, spirituality, and our awesome life experiences. The "s" includes my husband, Mike! I want this blog to be a tool to build bridges among communities and to inspire people to get involved and vote.

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