“The choosing of the costumes, so much expense on a tiny budget for just a few hours. And the choices…oh, the choices. More thought went into what these children would trick or treat as than went into us choosing our first house. Saving your costume for trick or treating isn’t even a thing this year.”
“This summer, we said ‘Yes!’ It was a leap of faith. I suited up in PPE and they placed her in my arms. ‘Meet Julia.’ All I could do was thank God.”
“One of my kids screamed, ‘They’re here!’ I gathered her things and met her momma. The exchange spoke a million words. That was it. The moment that healed.”
“I blamed myself for not being like other moms who had it all together. I would halt a workout and walk out of the gym if I spotted a fitter girl. It drove me into a pit of despair.”
“As I posted photos of us together, more questions came my way. I didn’t have anything to hide. On National Coming Out Day, I texted my dad. ‘In a perfect world, you could be happy for me.’ I was freed.”
“He wouldn’t look at me, he would hand me money and say he wanted a six pack of Natty. He handed me a debit card and a grocery list and told us we could spend $20 on ourselves. I jumped for joy as soon as I shut the window. A couple hair cuts later, he hands me a check.”
“People began to talk and rumors were spreading. ‘You’d do anything to keep your man.’ It all seemed too big and scary. What was bigger and scarier was living without each other.”
“Not the shy ones or the quiet ones. The ones who were too scared to speak up.”
“’I can’t do this anymore.’ I was stuck in molasses, unable to move forward. ‘PTSD? That’s for those in the army, or for major trauma.’ I was speechless.”
“The news came one night when I was teaching a zoom class. I remember holding onto her so tightly, weeping. I had a choice to make. Would I choose to carry the legacy of my late wife or give up?”
