My Support System

When I think about a strong support system, the first thing that comes to my mind is my immediate family. My immediate family consists of my mother and two younger sisters.

My family has been a strong support system

My family has been a very strong support system during the time I came out as gay as well as the time I came out as HIV positive.

I have been very fortunate that my support system is still the people that are the closest to me and the people who I have known my entire life.

The 3 individuals in my life all possess characteristics that make for a strong support system. These three things are accountability, encouragement, and togetherness.

My mom has stood by my side

When I think about my mother I think about a strong, independent, and confident woman. She has stood by my side as a single mother, being both a mother and father figure to me as much as she could.

She always held me accountable

One thing that I can say, with all honesty, is that she held me accountable for my actions no matter what. As my mother, I always knew she would be on my side, but she always made sure to let me know when I was wrong.

She held me accountable which helped me grow into the man I am today. Holding me accountable for my actions showed me how to admit when I was wrong and mature from the experience.

Encouragement from my youngest sister

The youngest of my two sisters is the one that constantly encourages me every day.

We constantly have discussions over things like life, dating, and relationships. I see so much of myself in her as I see her grow older and older each day.

Boosting our confidence

One thing that I adore is how much she boosts my confidence when I am around her. She is not afraid to tell me if she feels that I look good in a certain outfit or if I have a nice haircut.

What I love about our relationship and the support she gives me is that how we can complement one another to make each other feel better and boost our confidence.

Shared experiences with my other sister

My other sister is one that I hold very near and dear to my heart because we share so many of the same experiences. This is what I mean by togetherness because both my sister and I are proud of our identities and being a part of the LGBT community.

What it means to have pride in myself

When we are around one another, she shows me what it means to have pride in myself and for that, I am forever grateful.

She reminds me that the work I do for the LGBT community is not over and I must continue for the younger generations to come.

At the end of the day, what I do know is I have an amazing support system to lean on. My support system is and forever will be my immediate family and I would not have it any other way.