Five years ago, I began to explore
a truth about me I had buried
all my life. I'm gay.
When I was young, I didn't know
anyone who was gay.
I knew I was different
because I was gay.
And because being different
was weird as a kid,
I convinced myself I liked boys
because it was easier than
being different.
As a teenager, very few people
were out in my high school.
It wasn't like how it is now.
So I told myself I wasn't gay
and carried on like
I was like everyone else.
But I'm not like everyone else
and that's okay.
Three years ago, I began
coming out to my family and friends.
I was met with love and acceptance
from those who I told.
My mom even said she knew
before I told her.
The LGBTQ+ community is becoming
more accepted,
society is slowly changing.
Though we still have a
long way to go.
For me, pride month is a reminder
that it's okay to be myself.
That I don't have to live up
to anyone else's standards
but my own. And that's a
beautiful thing.
Happy Pride Month!!!
Sitting in the shade with Mikey
on the back deck.
I'm reading a book,
he's under my legs.
He looks so peaceful
drifting in and out of sleep.
I sip my chai latte
and watch pollen
float through the air.
One lands on my cat,
another lands on my dress.
I cover my cup to protect my drink.
Mikey wakes when birds chirp
or children scream.
An airplane flies overhead
that I cannot see.
Summer is approaching.
The warm air has returned.
I'm happy taking photos of flowers
and staying outside for hours.
This is when I can breathe
without worrying about
my lungs freezing.
I pay attention
while getting lost
in my thoughts,
it's a balancing act
I can never fully figure out.
Noun.
When my thoughts become overwhelming,
I put my phone down and reset.
I walk outside,
sit somewhere quiet,
and soak up the stillness.
Sometimes it works,
sometimes it doesn't.
I'm a work in progress
in this journey called life.
I’ve been into photography for quite a few years now. I love capturing a moment and focusing on details that are often overlooked. Below are some of my favorites. You can check out more of my photography here.
Noun.
I’m no longer willing to sit in my past
watching everything I did wrong pass by me.
Instead of feeling shame, I'm choosing love.
It's a choice that has to be made often
but it gets easier the more I'm aware of
how I'm talking to myself.
I'm choosing to give myself love by
living in the present.
When I get caught up in an anxious
thought, I respond with forgiveness
instead of judgment.
I sit outside as often
as I can because I feel better.
When I sit outside, I'm present.
I feel the warm air on my skin,
I breathe in the alluring
smells of nearby flowers.
I can sit with a book and
be totally happy.
Kelly Severseike 