Being best friends means really knowing a person and fully accepting each other for who they are. It also means considering their needs, being there for them when needed, and assuming they’ll do the same.
Unfortunately, not everybody understands the meaning of this kind of relationship the same. One Redditor shares how her supposed best friend asked her to help her plan her wedding, refused to include a vegetarian catering option despite being asked, and still got upset when her friend brought her own food. Scroll down to read the full story!
More info: Reddit
Sometimes, people have very different understandings of what it means to be a best friend, and what appears as a given to one might not to the other
Image credits: Jonathan Borba (not the actual photo)
This vegetarian woman helped her best friend of many years plan her wedding, and they seemed to agree on everything but the meal plan
Image credits: Jonathan Borba (not the actual photo)
The bride told her friend that having a vegetarian option was not worth the trouble, so the woman brought her own food and ate it discreetly in the kitchen
Image credits: u/Ok-Perspective-1111
When the newlywed wife learned what her best friend did, she broke down in tears and told her she was insulting and embarrassing
The OP and the woman that, in this story, the author chose to call Abby have been best friends for the majority of their lives. Now that Abby was getting married, she asked her friend to help her with planning. But throughout the otherwise impeccable cooperation, there was 1 thing they couldn’t agree on - the meal plan.
When the woman asked her friend to include a vegetarian dish for her, Abby seemed to understand it at first. But when it came to finalization, she chose to please the majority, saying that the cost was not worth the trouble and that most people wouldn’t like the vegetarian meal.
The poster chose not to argue as this was not her decision, and instead, when the day came, she brought her own meal and ate it discreetly in the kitchen. But when her best friend found out, she felt insulted and embarrassed and broke down in tears.
The author apologized to her friend, saying it wasn’t her intention to make her feel the way she did. Still, she also added that she has been vegetarian for most of their friendship, and since her needs were known and ignored, the woman wouldn’t eat something she didn’t enjoy or want.
People in the comment section sided with the poster, saying that including at least one vegetarian dish is basic decency and calling her best friend selfish, some even doubting if the word “friend” is the correct term here.
In a later addition, the woman also gave further context, saying that there was one side salad she ate during the reception. She only went to eat her own food while everybody else was getting dessert, and, instead, got some cake later.
Image credits: Kaboompic.com (not the actual photo)
Although the popularity of vegetarianism we know now only came in the 20th century, the origins of this type of dietary practice go way back to ancient India, making it a lot older than it might first appear.
Vegetarianism might be adopted for many various reasons. For example, some do it for health benefits, some for their religious beliefs, and others for animal rights and environmental concerns. But whatever the reasons behind this diet, if done correctly, it can bring many benefits.
If you do eat meat and decide to switch it up to a more plant-based way of eating, The Wimpy Vegetarian offers some advice on better adapting to it. Obviously or not, it all starts with being gentle to yourself because even if you have all the support you can get, it can still be a considerable change, and adjusting for both you and your digestive system will take time.
That being said, it pays to do it gradually. Quitting any habit by going “cold turkey” is rarely a good idea, and the changes often don’t stick. Therefore, starting small is best, eliminating parts of animal-based products and the times you eat them before stopping completely. You could even choose to keep fish or poultry and be a pescatarian and/or pollo-vegetarian, respectively.
In addition, if you aim to tackle more than one challenge simultaneously, like going vegetarian and eating less sugar, consider taking on them one at a time, as trying to bite off more than you can chew might result in failure on all fronts.
Image credits: Antoni Shkraba (not the actual photo)
It’s also important to plan your meals and shopping trips. Not all vegetarian food is healthy, and impulsive decisions often lead to easier choices like fast food or carb-heavy dishes. But at the same time, don’t shy away from experimenting. When you’re getting into a whole new world of eating, there is much to be found, and this is probably the best way to do it.
The article further shares that learning and knowing your protein sources is essential as this is where the biggest change can be felt compared to the animal-based diet. However, you don’t have to completely give up the taste, as plenty of meat substitutes can mimic the taste and texture almost perfectly.
And lastly, it’s always great to have a buddy with whom you embark on this journey. It’s nothing complicated, yet it can be a huge boost when it comes to staying committed to what you’re doing, and it’s always great to have someone by your side going through the same thing as you at the same time.
Ultimately, choosing to be a vegetarian is beneficial, albeit challenging. We live in a world where most of the population consumes animal-based food. Therefore, doing things differently might make you feel excluded. However, even if you eat meat products yourself, it’s not that difficult to be considerate of your friends and relatives who choose not to, especially when your wedding has catering, and all you need to do is put in a request.
What did you think of this story? Do you have any similar experiences? Come down to the comments and share!
People in the comment section unanimously sided with the poster, saying that the other woman was selfish and perhaps didn't even deserve to be called a friend
