and he’s out...

Last night my brother finally came out to our parents. And while I feel the need to blog about this, I don’t really know what to write.

I am so very proud of Billabong for having the courage to face mom and dad. Don’t get me wrong, my parents are wonderful people; There was never any real chance that they would do something stupid like scream and yell and tell him to get out of the house.

But there is always the disappointment factor.

When I was growing up, it did not matter how mad my mom was with me, as long as she was never disappointed in me. Disappointment is always so much worse than anger. And even though my parents are definitely freaked out by this, I know they will never be disappointed with my brother for being true to himself.

Even though I was not there when it happened, I know my family well enough that I can picture it all in my head. I can see the look on my parents’ face, the look that says, “well, we knew this day would come eventually.” Billabong told me later that dad kept fidgeting with the things on his bedside table while they were talking.

But the point is, they did talk…about everything.

They could have easily said that they were ok with this but then refused to talk about it under the assumption that if you refuse to discuss it it will go away. Instead, my parents really stepped up to the plate. And for that, I couldn’t be more proud of them. Sometimes, it’s too easy to forget how lucky we (my siblings and I) are when it comes to parents. I mean, my mom and dad are, for lack of better words…completely insane. And, in turn, they drive their children crazy on a daily basis. But they are always there when we need them, and it honestly doesn’t get any better than that.