You are your mother's son

Said Heather as we drove through the driving rain to chorus rehearsal. I nodded, gravely, in a way that spoke of a realization achieved through years of therapy and soul-searching. Why was it so difficult for me to realize this? After all, my mother has always been encouraging me to express my true self. Unfortunately, my true self has not always been the self that I thought I should (myself) have. And that is no one's fault in particular, but it is everyone's responsibility to ensure that this conflict doesn't happen to others, like me, who in some way may be different. And so, to all you parents and future parents and people who may never be parents but know parents or children, I have this to say. You will most likely know a child who may turn out to be different (and by different I mean GAY, just so there is no confusion out there). Perhaps they put on your wedding dress for fun, or make mourning stationary on foolscap, or mimic Julia Child. Perhaps they will do none of the above. But if they do, smile and nod and tell them you love them. They could get angry, and try to become the opposite of who they really are. But remember they are not angry at you. They are angry at a world that forces them to always pretend. You can choose to be a part of that world, or you can be brave, like my parents, and say no.

I know that I try to be brave. And yes, in that way, I am most certainly my mother's, and father's son!