Because I am all too human, I don't always do the right thing, so how can I expect others to perform perfectly on the issues that are my top priority? I don't mean that we shouldn't try to do our best, but judgment and recrimination are such heavy weights. I find that accepting that we are all fallible lightens my load.

Some of us seem to be born with a drive to try to make the world kinder.

I don't understand "animal people" who say they are not environmentalists. Do they not realize that the vast majority of animals live in the environment?

Some people feel that humans have a right to eat other animals but not to trash the earth. They may choose veganism because a vegan's ecological footprint is light, but once they are not invested in eating animals, they are more likely to be willing to learn the details of what happens to them. That learning will encourage compassionate people to stick with a plant-based diet.

Mostly, I make sure to stay keenly aware of my own shortcomings so that I am more patient with others. It can be hard to see a friend order a cow-milk latte when almond or soy milk is available, knowing that the friend knows what dairy cows go through, how they mourn their babies, who have been carted off to veal crates so that we can steal their milk.

Mostly, I make sure to stay keenly aware of my own shortcomings so that I am more patient with others.

Remember that veganism is a compassionate lifestyle not a punitive religion. Enjoy it! And if the going gets rough, it's better to relax the rules occasionally than to give up the game entirely.