Thanksgiving has once again come and gone for the year. Out of the dozens of family gatherings that we put on our calendar during the year, Thanksgiving is my favorite. Sure, Delicious homemade food, cool fall weather, and football games are very enticing for most of us. I like Thanksgiving for other reasons including, no expectations, no presents to buy and being around family.

For most families, the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner is a beautiful, plump turkey to share between family and friends. With over 90% of American families partaking in this traditions, that is well over 46 million Turkeys slaughtered for this day of celebration.

I would like to take a few minutes to shine a light on "vegan" lifestyles and use this as a platform to introduce the world to an amazing beacon of hope in what can be a dark, dismal time in the world of animal rights and welfare. Here is to making 2019 THE year that we can begin to show gratitude to what nature has given us and allow more friends of Cornelius to remain off the Thanksgiving table in the years to come!

Cornelius the Turkey has recently been put into the spotlight because he happens to be best friends and self-appointed bodyguard for an up-and-coming star, Esther the Pig. In 2012, Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter became the proud parents of what they thought at the time was a very little mini-pig in desperate need of a little love and a lot of makeovers. Her family quickly realized she was no mini-pig but an animal designed to be a commercial product that would have ZERO chance of survival outside of the family she was quickly becoming a part of.

As Esther grew, so did her family. Enter Cornelius the turkey. If you have had the pleasure of knowing who Esther the Wonder Pig is, then you may already know who Cornelius the Turkey. I admit I am a Cornelius the Turkey fan. Not just a fan, but a "super fan". Turkeys are intelligent social creatures that love to explore and form loving bonds with other animals.

The very friendly turkey named Cornelius (nickname Corno or Corny") found this amazing family and his spot was took on his self-appointed role as Esther's bodyguard. Sounds odd, right? I adore this. I live for this. Ester and Corno run around in the grass in sweaters on chilly mornings and mud baths when the sun is high. Basically, these two have been known for letting their freak flags fly, including many days dedicated to "dress up"

Cornelius the Turkey is protector and best friend to Esther the Pig.https://www.instagram.com/p/BhkTJoWjqLm/?utm_sourc...

Cornelius has stolen millions of heart worldwide. The public wants to be near "Corno" ( as his dads call him).

Here are some of the reasons why I'm removing some things off the table this year.

1. Corno loves affection. He is always in the background, following the action and whenever he can get corner one of his dads, he demands a hug. Not just a pat on the back, "you are such a good boy!" hug but a let me sit in your lap, put my head on your shoulder and listen to the words of love you whisper in my ear.

2. He can be a little on the "jealous side" when other get love and his not in the middle of the circle of love. He will find a way and push himself into the middle. As Esther's (self-appointed) bodyguard, he patiently walks before Esther on their outings around the farm and will watch with concern as she squirms her rotund bootisumus-glaximus into the house and on her bed.

3. He enjoys being a food critic and embodies the "Sharing is caring" motto. Every meal.

He knows how to strut his stuff when he's ready for his close-up:

In the wild, turkeys love to explorers and loving parents who can live to be 10 years old. Turkeys raised for food are typically killed when they're between only 12 and 26 weeks old. The poultry industry brags that it kills 44 to 47 million turkeys for Thanksgiving every year. Thanks to Cornelius and other ambassadors for a vegan lifestyle, the tide is turning.