I recently came out to my best friend and she had such an amazing response.

I had been struggling a lot with parental pressure regarding me never having a boyfriend and me one day having a husband. And that I have a lot of religous guilt as a result of my evangelical upbringing. It honeslty has been something I have struggled for years with and it's put me in and out of some really dark places. At one point in my life I almost joined a virtual conversion therapy group.

I have gotten a lot better but I can't lie and say I feel completely OK with being gay. I have come to terms with the fact it doesn't change and it's not my fault. I just struggle with how those around me will react. Its been one of those things where I wonder if it's better to just be in the closet forever so I don't risk rocking the boat. I have a great relationship with my parents and a few close friends whom I love dearly. So I don't feel like being me is worth risking all these wonderful relationships.

But I also wanted to say I tried. So I came out to her one afternoon. And she took it so well. One of my biggest fears is that she would think I was creepy or messed up or in need of conversion. But no, she actually really sat and listened to me. And she actually was really comforting by just letting me get all this off my chest without judgement. Having someone affirm to me that I'm not going to hell and I am not broken has been incredible.

What I love most is that she didn't make it a whole deal. She let me have my moment of heart to heart but afterwards, we went on having our normal friendship. The normalness meant the world to me. She sees me as the same person I always have been.

She has also tried to help me accept myself more. She is encouraging me to make more lgbtq friends that get my situation and who will accept me.

So yeah, this is a little appreciation post for my best friend who has made a decade of stress feel a little bit lighter.