Joe

i.

Cover picture from ig: sarahbaba

Joe couldn't have ever imagined a life like this a year ago. She couldn't imagine the hot chocolate in her hand  and the beautiful girl fast asleep on her lap.

A year ago, life was unpleasant. Joe often had to visit her happy place in order to get through the day, but now, she was living in her happy place.

Life for Joe was difficult for a number of reasons, but most notably, Joe felt completely alienated from her friends and family.

She now realizes that those feelings of loneliness and isolation were only there because she had closed herself off from the people in her life.

Joe was afraid of the change that may come from her admitting to herself and to the people she loved that, contrary to what they believed, she wasn't straight.

All of that worrying was for nothing. When Joe finally let the gay cat out of the bag, the reactions ranged from overwhelmingly positive to passively neutral.

There was no significant change, except for her friends trying to set her up with girls instead of guys, which Joe was thankful for.

Joe was also thankful for her friends and family and for her girlfriend, Mia. She was most of all thankful for the new world. She knows that she would never have this glorious life without the sacrifices of the brave LGBT people of the past.

Joe leans down and kisses Mia on her cheek and softly whispers, "happy pride month," into her ear.