I am truly humbled when I realize that living beings died today so that I might continue to live. Today a potato, a tomato, some wheat, lettuce, rice, a banana, and blueberries lost their lives for my sake. Some of this food died on farms hundreds of miles away. But I must admit that I killed the tomato myself. I kidnapped it from its mother tomato bush. It had little time to say its final good-byes as it left the plant that nurtured and carried its weight ever since it was born. We had a quiet stroll from garden to kitchen. Then I sliced it up and ate it in a bowl full of lettuce. It is now me. Together, we'll plant tomato seeds next spring. Thank you, tomato. I'm sorry, tomato. I owe you my life, our life.

— Gregg Krech, Naikan