In Honor of Pride Month

I’ve been embraced by a new community. That’s what happens when you’re finally honest about who you are; you find others like you.- Chaz Bono

We all have been or are on a journey into becoming authentically ourselves. This is quite a process for some of us at times because of being taught a certain way, or conditioned to believe a certain way and that can act as a catalyst to clouding our perception of others we encounter. We often tend to think about how different this person or that person is when really they are just another living breathing soul like ourselves on this earth.

While growing up in a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses I was taught that being gay was a sin and that you would be judged for choosing to live that way because God doesn’t approve of it. I encountered the very same teaching when I entered the Christian community on the evangelical, charismatic and pentecostal side. I was also taught that if you have a home where the mom or dad is gay or there is a same sex couple as parents the children would be severely damaged mentally and emotionally. I question this on so many levels now after multiple experiences I have encountered.

My closest friend Kay and her daughter Kasey invited me to spend time with them one evening at their home some months back. Normally when we come together we are either sitting in the dinning area or outside talking, laughing and having a good time. On this particular night we went into their music room to enjoy some time together. Kay sings and plays the piano and Kasey sings as well and decided to play her ukulele. Both of them have beautiful voices that grab your attention.

I witnessed this beautiful exchange in music between a mother and a daughter. A great bonding over songs that brought them both joy and great memories. At one point Kasey sang a song to Kay that she sang to her for her 50th Birthday that brought Kay to tears. As I watched this beautiful exchange I couldn’t help but think to myself I have to share this story from the viewpoint that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Kasey as Kay’s daughter. She loves her mom so much! I kept thinking Kay has done an amazing job raising this young lady into such a beautiful an outstanding woman! Kasey graduated this summer from High School in three years. That’s something to be celebrated and it all is the basis of Kay being an Amazing mother to Kasey.

There was so much love and raw emotion in that room that evening that I sat there in awe of these two beautiful souls and the gift they gave me to be able to witness this exchange. Kay is a single mother who raised three amazing daughters and runs her own business here in Greenville, South Carolina. She has worked very hard to get to the place she is now and overcome so much adversity and became so resilient! Kay has also walked with me consistently through a personal transition in my life these last few months.

That night I didn’t see a gay woman with her daughter, I seen a mother and daughter enjoying each other’s gifts in music that brought them even closer together. I feel that we should re-examine how our perception can cloud some of the most beautiful things that life can show us if we truly have eyes to see it.

Kay & Kasey