Submitted by: Ulrike Neville(130) Log in to become a member of Ulrike Neville's Fan Club!
Father's day gift-giving time can be difficult for vegans, especially if they are trying to shop for an omnivore father who doesn't really understand how he managed to produce offspring that would refuse to eat animals or even run to the store to buy him some chicken. What can one do for such a father on his nationally-appointed day and not compromise one's core values?
If your wallet is more available than your time, you are likely going to opt to purchase a gift. Your Om-Dad probably won't appreciate an animal rights t-shirt, a book on how to be a vegan, or membership in the Tofu of the Month club, but that doesn't mean that you can't get him a perfectly suitable gift that just happens to be vegan. Is he a coffee drinker? Get him some Fair Trade coffee. Rather than one large bag, get him lots of smaller, gourmet flavor bags of coffee, you know, the kind he'd never buy for himself but would probably secretly enjoy trying. If he prefers tea, there are hundreds of organic (and not organic) teas available in a myriad of flavors that are also vegan. If you just can't decide on anything, let someone else create the perfect gift. "Vegan Divine" sells themed gift baskets for father's day. You could also take him out to the movies. Get him tickets to some sporting event he'd enjoy and if you can't go with him, be sure to have a ticket on hand for him to take a buddy along.
If you have both time and money to spare, consider making a calendar. Wal-Greens allows you to create a personalized calendar with your own photos. Include month appropriate photos and be sure to personalize it with everyone's birthdays, anniversaries, and other family and friend related events so he doesn't have to try to remember it all. If you still live at home or nearby, make and pack box lunches for a week for him. The Vegan Lunch Box Blog has years of archives of daily vegan lunches that even the pickiest of eaters would find mouth-wateringly scrumptious.
If you consider time spent in the kitchen an obvious means to go straight to his heart (via his stomach), then you have a great opportunity to show him just how delicious vegan food is with an overflowing plate of rich, moist, chewy brownies, a luscious cake with creamy frosting, a pie to die for, a loaf of bread chock full of nutrition or even a batch of those cupcakes that are famously taking over the world. If your local library neglected to include vegan cookbooks on its shelves, try going to the Post Punk Kitchen for recipes to try out. You may find yourself needing to make (and of course eat) at least 10-15 different dishes/desserts before finally deciding on one. Note: unless he is the adventurous sort, consider choosing recipes that don't have ingredients he might find objectional. Sneaking some tofu in, even when he is not likely to know it's there is not in the father's day spirit.
If the kitchen is not where you prefer to spend quality time and you are low on funds but have free time, consider mowing the lawn for him. Wash and vacuum his car. Clean the rain gutters. Write him a letter telling him what he meant to you as a kindergartener, an elementary school student, a high school student, a university student, an adult and as a parent yourself. Include photographs from each of the time periods you choose to write about. Ask HIS father to share with you some stories about what it meant to him to be his father and include those stories. What's your talent? If you can draw, draw a picture of him doing his favorite activity or of you both together. Musically inclined? Make a tape or CD showcasing your musical abilities with songs that make you think of him. Handy? Whether it's a toolbox that you designed yourself with carvings of his favorite hobbies or a stool for him to rest his feet while relaxing, knowing that you made it yourself will have him thinking of you every time he sees it.
No matter what you decide to do or buy for father's day, be sure to include a hug and an "I love you", both of which happen to be naturally vegan.
After teaching English in South Korea for nearly ten years, Ulrike Neville is back in the States re-learning how to be an American, albeit one who doesn't exactly qualify for mainstream.
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