Broccoli Rising, Dogs, Humans, St. Patrick, Real Compassion and Fake News
Our dog had done something stupid again, and was hacking and hiccuping, her body bow-taut, staring at me with a gaze somewhere between beseeching and full-on freakout.
I knelt down, smoothed her down the length her body with my hands and whispered lies into her oversized ears about what a good dog she was. I felt her calm. She stopped with the hiccups. I gave her some water. She slurped it down, then flopped down onto her bed with her toys, exhausted, relieved, relaxed, the moment’s crisis past.
My husband stared at me too. It was a different kind of stare. “That was magic,” he said. My husband is a partner in a major CPA firm. Magic isn’t really his thing, especially during tax season. “You are the life force of this house.”
Being a magic-wielding life force hasn’t been the most lucrative career. Or the best way to go down in history. Just look at St. Patrick the guy we celebrate today. Turns out he wasn’t a saint after all. He wasn’t even Irish (neither, btw, is corned beef and cabbage). St. Patrick was a nice guy who preached and practiced compassion and humanity. Yet what he’s known for is driving the snakes out of Ireland, and that, darlings, was likely just hype. Kindness didn’t sell even back in the 5th century, so they had to generate fake news.
What with it being Women’s History Month and all, I thought of all the women — and men — all the people in the world who’ve been undersung and undercompensated through the ages but who freely dispense magic and life force anyway. It’s not really magic, and there’s nothing fake about it. It’s compassion, it’s humanity, and it’s within all of us humans. In some cases it may be harder to tap into than others, but it’s there. Compassion and humanity don’t generate clicks, likes, or revenue. It’s the best part of who we are, yet we — you — don’t get credit for it. Usually. But I see you. And I thank you.
Wear green for Ireland and St. Patrick today
Eat bubble and squeak, (my husband loves it)
Make soda bread—this grainy loaf comes together quickly and easily yet offers great reward. A warm slice and a cup of tea can salvage a sucky day like a visit with a friend.
Enjoy this Spring Asparagus Tart (Paid subscribers can find the recipe below!)
Be like St. Patrick — show the world your compassion and humanity. It may not make you rich, but it enriches all the lucky people — and animals— in your orbit.
Two new books by two radiant vegans explore the power of compassion and how to put it into practice:
Speaking of books, here’s a gentle reminder about mine: Miami Vegan: Plant-Based Recipes from the Tropics to Your Table which I’d quietly, lovingly labored over for years, comes out in May. But why wait? It’s available for pre-orders now. As a special thanks for your support, all Broccoli Rising subscriber pre-orders get a special 15% discount (so buy two copies!). Just use the special discount code MIAMIVEGANLOVE at checkout (valid through April 3).
All Broccoli Rising subscribers who pre-order are invited to a special free virtual cooking class right after Miami Vegan’s release. Just send a screen shot of your pre-order confirmation, and you’re on the list. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for details.
Broccoli Rising subscribers, I strive to provide fresh weekly content and vegan recipes for all of you, and I’ve just made the Broccoli Rising chat feature available to all, as well. So talk to me!
It’s the ten percent of you who are paid subscribers who make all this possible, and I am so grateful. I try to give you some bang for your bucks with exclusives, like this Spring Asparagus Tart recipe, which earned spousal approval in the recipe testing process. Up your subscription level to paid now and taste that tart.