handle with care;

I go through day to day not even realizing or paying any mind to the fact that I happen to love a woman. I don’t even think about it because it’s just so normal and natural. Then sadly, occasionally I see these “hate” comments or posts about other people or things and it is absolutely heartbreaking. I’m not naive to it all, I guess it’s just never been something I’ve paid attention to, to be honest. I have been extremely lucky to be loved and accepted for who I am. However that hasn’t been the case for many many people..and my heart breaks for them. Which takes me to moments in public when we do at times “hide” our love for each other because there is so much hate, but I’m not proud of moments I’ve done that and no one should ever feel that way. I guess I just want to say let love be and embrace everyone for who they are because this world is so full of beautiful people who have so much love to give and just want to be loved. 

Also, “Coming out story”, interesting concept isn’t it. People recognize the moment you come out to loved ones about the gender you love..some people have good ones, and heartbreakingly, some people have bad ones. The idea of it is beautiful, being able to be so honest with people when you’ve been struggling internally. However, I’ve never really realized that some people have a never ending coming out story. Day to day, some need to choose to come out or remain silent and shrink yourself.. Many day to day interactions with acquaintances, strangers, new or old coworkers, etc. Questions like “did your boyfriend get that for you?” “Do you have a boyfriend” “have you found yourself a nice man?”, etc..the list could go on and on. How many little stories do you tell daily to people about your partner and can confidently say their gender without worrying about someone’s demeanour changing? Or being worried about them judging? There’s more moments than some realize and unfortunately, this is a decision many people need to make often and it’s a heavy weight to carry at times. 

The world has grown so much but we’re still not there yet and sometimes that hits a little harder some days. If you’re not already aware of your language and terminology when speaking to people, just try to educate yourself and ask questions. Most importantly, try to be inclusive..some might be struggling a little bit extra with acceptance that day. 

I stand with you and I thank you.

It's late, or early, depending on how you look at it. 4:43AM. I'm laying in bed tossing and turning and my mind is going a mile a minute. Thinking about things I could change, things I've done wrong, things I've forgotten, etc. It seems like a never-ending list my restless mind is creating. I've only worked in the field of social services, specifically with youth, for a few years so I'm not the most experienced, however, it's still a passion that I care deeply about.

Working with youth has had many ups and downs and I just want to say a genuine thank you to those who have chosen this path.

Thank you for staying at work until 3 AM after a 12-hour shift because one of your youth has gone AWOL.

Thank you for dealing with the youth who don't know how to deal with their emotions other than yelling, screaming and throwing things.

Thank you for sitting on the bathroom floor with a youth reminding them of their worth while they self-harm.....