Monday, October 4, 2010

Bleeding Heart

Our dear little Madelyn has always had a special heart of compassion. This is a wonderful gift, but it can also be a problem…for instance, she’s been a complete vegetarian for the last two years+ (remember she’s only four!) because she couldn’t bear that meat came from animals. She will now eat steak and ground beef because I finally convinced her God puts cows on earth for us to enjoy, but she will rarely accept that same argument for pigs or chickens.

She recently found out all the live lobsters we constantly see in New England in tanks at markets (or even in restaurant windows) are there waiting to be eaten. This breaks her heart. She wants us to rescue them --all of them!-- and set them free. Her pleas for help with their rescue are becoming more impassioned as time goes on. I shudder to think of what her future holds…if we ever get a call in the middle of the night that we have a child in jail for some sympathetic protest or another, it’s going to be her.

We’ve said for two or three years now that Madelyn is going to be our child who runs off to join the Peace Corp and tries to save the world. But for now, her focus is lobsters, and it doesn’t help that we’re currently in the Lobster Capital of the World. Reminders are everywhere!

10 comments:

Kristin said...

Poor Madelyn... Don't ever let her go to the pound, its way worse than the lobster tanks. Every time I've left the pound it has been in tears. Tell her I understand her plight.
Love auntie Kristi

Anonymous said...

Jill remind Madelyn of the swan attack, then let her get around a flock of chickens looking for food or be near pigs in their natural ungroomed state and smell how bad they are. She should be shown that these animals are not so nice and cuddley. Turkeys, geese and yes even chicken can be meaner than that swan was. Lobsters pinch severly besides I thought she is allergic to shellfish. Not only does Miss Madelyn look sad in this picture but she looks tired. Keep working on teaching her about the food chain and thus the circle of life. And yes Madelyn will be and has been the child to march to the beat of her own drum, do the unexpected. So brace yourself Mom it may be a very interesting journey for all of you.
If you can try to avoid anywhere that is cooking lobsters from the tank to the pot as the lobsters do scream and try to climb out of the pots. That was even hard for me to put up with, yet I love lobster.
Love you all, Granma

Jill said...

Andee, she's four! We are in no way going to discourage that sweet heart or wonderful love of animals. I think it's pretty awesome she has such compassion at this young age. And no, she is most definitely not allergic to shellfish -- we wouldn't put our child in danger by eating things like clam chowder and lobster rolls if she was! Regular fish is another story. :)

gretchenhs said...

Sweet Madelyn. I gave up meat for about 10 years myself. Couldn't stand the thought of where it came from when I was trying to eat it. I still won't eat fish. Then I got pregnant and all I wanted was rare steak. *sigh*

Love you little girl, I know someday you will be rescuing animals!

Jill said...

Kristi -- we did go to the pound one time on a tour with that Mom's Club I was in...never again! Trust me, both the girls and I were ready to take every single one of them home!

Jill said...

Gretch, I remember when you suddenly started eating meat...that was hilarious! And yes, maybe it's a good thing there's no chance for pets for us with our lifestyle at the moment...I'm pretty certain we would have acquired quite a few in the last few months alone. :)

Andrea Kanelopoulos - Anam Nostos House said...

Wow, this warmed my heart! What an awesome little person created in our world. We need her to teach us sometimes, perhaps...but yes, I can't wait to see how she tackles the world and cares for it with all that amazing love! Good job, Mama and Daddy!

Jill said...

Thank you so much for your kind words, Andrea! Your note warmed *my* heart -- thank you!!

Anonymous said...

Ryan says, "I'll help her get the lobsters out...so I can get to the crabs. Yum!" Apparently, he doesn't see the world quite the same way that Madelyn does. :)

-Diana

Unknown said...

Poor Madelyn. :(
Our children were appalled at the thought of killing animals for food, until we explained where that very yummy steak and crab they love comes from. Now we have little carnivores. Elizabeth points out the window when we drive past a dairy and says, "Cheese, butter, and steaks! Yummy!"