Forever Thankful

This time of year, I am always so thankful for what I have in life. There are so many times in my life that I have taken things for granted, and the closer we get to the holidays, the more I am reminded about how fortunate I am.

I am fortunate to live a healthy life as an HIV-positive gay man in Los Angeles, California. I am blessed to have a roof over my head and food in my stomach. I am forever grateful for the simple things that life has to offer me.

So caught up

There are times when I lose sight of what is important in life. There are times when I get so caught up in work that I bring that baggage home with me. Lately, I realized that I needed to stop this.

I have been getting more responsibility within my career and at my organization. It has brought me more stress. I had to remind myself not to vent to my partner so much about work when I got home and to take the time to enjoy one another. If I was having a hard and stressful day at work, I had to remind myself to leave it at work.

The holidays are just around the corner, and we should cherish every moment with those we love. I do want to say that I am thankful for the career path that I am on and how rewarding the work that I do is.

Even though it can be stressful, it will all pay off in the end. I am always reminded of how important it is to provide the community with the resources and access to LGBTQ+ safe spaces.

My family's support

I am going to turn 30 in a few months, and I am thankful for all my family's support. They supported me when I came out as gay and supported me when I let the world know that I was HIV-positive.

Last year, I was confident enough to take my mother to her first World AIDS Day event. This year I am beyond excited to say that I am going to another World AIDS Day event with her, but we are also bringing my aunt and uncle.

I am kind of nervous about them going because I know they will ask so many questions about the event. There are questions that I am willing to answer, but I have never had an actual conversation with them about my diagnosis other than that I am HIV-positive. I promise to update you all on how that day plays out.

And for all of you

I also want to take the time to say how thankful I am for all of you. I am forever grateful for all the people who take the time to read what I write about. I hope that through my writing, you can get a look into my own life and experiences and relate to them.

I am also thankful to be given the privilege to write for such an amazing site that gives back so much to the community. I hope to be writing for you all for a very long time to come.