Quite a Year!

It’s been quite a year, hasn’t it? Here we are, two days away from 2020 being over and I couldn’t be happier to see a year end.

At my age, I generally don’t wish away time. I have a lot less left than has already passed. This year started out quite normally. We made plans to visit family, to travel, to celebrate our 40^th wedding anniversary. Then the pandemic hit.

I’m very much an extrovert and thrive on interactions with others. I had a lot of regular activities that were all suddenly cancelled. Okay, I can do this for a couple of months. Now here we are 10 month later. What’s been really hard for me is not seeing my grandchildren. It’s been over a year since I’ve been able to hug them.

But there are silver linings. Zoom can be a curse but for me it’s been a blessing. It allows me to connect with people, attend meetings with others. While I can’t hug my grandsons, I can still see them and connect with them. I live only ½ a mile from my oldest son and I’ve been able to spend time with him and his husband. We are now quarantining again but I can still see him outside for socially distant visits.

I think a lot about the young LGBTQ kids who have not come out to their parents. Maybe they’re scared, maybe they know it’s not safe. They are literally stuck at home in a place where they don’t feel safe and perhaps with people they don’t feel safe with. I worry about them and hope they are finding ways to connect.

What’s amazed me is the increased number of parents who have contacted me asking about my Facebook group for parents. Their kids just came out and they feel confused or want support. So I know that many of these kids have chosen this time to come out, to tell the truth about who they are. And their parents are seeking the best ways to support and love them. This gives me hope!

I’m happy to say goodbye to 2020 and I’m looking forward to 2021 and what it brings. I have hope for better days and even more connection.