This Thanksgiving...
I am thankful that I was able to leave the terrible and repressive aspects of Christian culture that I grew up in, to get out of the suffocatingly small box that it put me in, and to discover my real personality and identity. There is far more good in the world and in the people around me than I ever imagined when I was growing up afraid and isolated . There is far more good in me than I ever realized when I was immersed in a culture of unhealthy standards, guilt, shame, and control . I am thankful for the good friendships I have today, for the people who accept me the way I am, include me in their lives, drink with me, laugh with me, help me when I'm in trouble, celebrate and commiserate with me, really know how to listen, and trust me enough to share their own stories and needs as well. I am thankful, although it can be painful, that I am able to distance myself from relationships when necessary . I no longer feel compelled to be a doormat to controlli...