PFLAG & My Co-Worker
So some of you may remember that UPS downsized but I made the cut - I just had to transfer to a different department. Another one of the ladies in our building got to keep a job as well but had to go part-time.
I have known her for years but have never really KNOWN her - if you know what I mean. We were chatting a couple of weeks ago and I asked her about her family. She began to tell me about each of her 3 children. When she got to her last child - her 22 year old daughter she sort of dropped her head and said "her name is Valerie and she's gay". I was not sure I heard her so I said "Valerie is a lesbian"? She said yes and then in a rather meek voice said yes "and I don't like it". I got up and walked over to her and said "why not". She told me that she's not sure it's right and that she was not really brought up to believe in it. I reminded her that Valerie was just being who she was born to be. (Thanks Lily Walsh Snyder for that great line) I told her that she did not know a lot about me but equality and acceptance for all people was most important to me. She gave me a slight smile and I showed her my Erase Hate bracelet and asked her if she wanted to be able to understand and accept her daughter. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said "oh my God yes". I smiled and hugged her and then I realized that maybe she and I were put together for a reason. (for me divine intervention and for others serendipity) I told her that maybe I could help her learn to accept her daughter and maybe even embrace her future - a future hopefully full of love and a family of her own if she wanted that. I told her to think about it and she was interested we could go to a group meeting of people just like her...
See the thing is - I was not going to judge her. Rosi is a nice gal - Hispanic and a devout Catholic. How else is she supposed to feel when she has had that dogma drilled into her for all of her 42 years.
She came to me on Monday and said she was watching her daughter eat dinner and she realized she did not want to feel this way anymore. She asked for my help and I told her about the San Antonio chapter of PFLAG. We are going tonight. (she asked me to go with her)
I hope and pray that this will be a good experience and that I can give her the support she wants. I will not push but I'll nudge just as long as she wants me too.
If any of my friends who read this have any advice or guidance I'd love it. I really want to do something good for this family. I really want Valerie to have a mother that would welcome her to find love and happiness - from another girl - since that's who she is. Wish me luck...
Peace! -B
I have known her for years but have never really KNOWN her - if you know what I mean. We were chatting a couple of weeks ago and I asked her about her family. She began to tell me about each of her 3 children. When she got to her last child - her 22 year old daughter she sort of dropped her head and said "her name is Valerie and she's gay". I was not sure I heard her so I said "Valerie is a lesbian"? She said yes and then in a rather meek voice said yes "and I don't like it". I got up and walked over to her and said "why not". She told me that she's not sure it's right and that she was not really brought up to believe in it. I reminded her that Valerie was just being who she was born to be. (Thanks Lily Walsh Snyder for that great line) I told her that she did not know a lot about me but equality and acceptance for all people was most important to me. She gave me a slight smile and I showed her my Erase Hate bracelet and asked her if she wanted to be able to understand and accept her daughter. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said "oh my God yes". I smiled and hugged her and then I realized that maybe she and I were put together for a reason. (for me divine intervention and for others serendipity) I told her that maybe I could help her learn to accept her daughter and maybe even embrace her future - a future hopefully full of love and a family of her own if she wanted that. I told her to think about it and she was interested we could go to a group meeting of people just like her...
See the thing is - I was not going to judge her. Rosi is a nice gal - Hispanic and a devout Catholic. How else is she supposed to feel when she has had that dogma drilled into her for all of her 42 years.
She came to me on Monday and said she was watching her daughter eat dinner and she realized she did not want to feel this way anymore. She asked for my help and I told her about the San Antonio chapter of PFLAG. We are going tonight. (she asked me to go with her)
I hope and pray that this will be a good experience and that I can give her the support she wants. I will not push but I'll nudge just as long as she wants me too.
If any of my friends who read this have any advice or guidance I'd love it. I really want to do something good for this family. I really want Valerie to have a mother that would welcome her to find love and happiness - from another girl - since that's who she is. Wish me luck...
Peace! -B