The last few Christmas seasons I’ve been blessed with a “holiday budget” from my family, which I can use to treat myself to gifts. My immediate family all live hours away from us in another state, so this is their way of being involved in the spirit of holiday giving without having to ship presents through the mail. It’s convenient, extremely generous, and I felt the need to mention it today in the spirit of gratitude.
This year I blew nearly all of that budget in one day on being the Cool Uncle.
I’ve mentioned a pop-up market called The Vegan Market which comes around every few months in our area, and this past weekend it was back. I’ve loved going not only for the tasty vegan treats, but to reconnect with many of the vendors there I’ve grown to know. I love supporting small businesses, and craft fairs / food fests are as small and personable as you can get.
Being the Cool Uncle regards, as you may have guessed, my niece’s involvement in this weekend’s Vegan Market. She’s lactose intolerant and has been since she was born, so she’s lived her whole life checking ingredient lists or bringing dietary alternatives to functions. I took her to a Vegan Market a few months ago and will never forget the look on her face when she realized she didn’t have to take any of her normal precautions. She could go nuts and get whatever she wanted… at least within her budget.
This year I had a holiday budget, so instead of spending it all on myself I decided not only to share the Vegan Market with my niece again but to let her truly get whatever she wanted. The afternoon was on me.
I confess I came away with a little bit of buyer’s remorse. Some of the vendors were new to me and a little on the pricey side, and a few of my regular stops had also raised their prices a touch. I don’t blame them in the slightest, but it made for a pricier market than I’ve done in the past. On top of treating my niece to everything, I wasn’t expecting to go through almost all of my budget in a day.
But it was worth it. I’m the type of person who loves to share what I’m excited about, and being the only member of my family on a plant-based diet makes my excitement about the Vegan Market feel a little isolated at times (outside of the promise of sweets). Letting my niece experience that same excitement I always feel, where you don’t have to check ingredient lists or company policies regarding animal testing, where you don’t have to worry about getting sick because you ate the wrong cupcake or cookie, where you have the freedom to treat yourself to something nice, was worth blowing my budget in an afternoon.
Being the Cool Uncle is usually priceless, but this past weekend it definitely had a price tag, and one that I would happily pay again (if that budget comes back next year).