It took me a very long time to come up with an answer for this prompt. I think it is difficult to look back on your life and try and pinpoint the moments where little parts of your perspective were put together. However, after some thought I was finally able to pull out one moment where I specifically remember my view of the world shifting. 

My mom was texting with my aunt, it was just after her double mastectomy to help stop her breast cancer. I was around 9, and waiting patiently. My mom was texting back and forth, exchanging what seemed like normal conversation phrases until my mom paused. Her mouth fell open, and my heart dropped. The pause while my mom read what my aunt had to say felt like it lasted for an eternity.

 “Your Aunt,” she said with a smile, “she likes girls.” A long pause.

However, since I was 9, I was like “Oh cool” and went back to watching my favorite TV show. It wasn’t until a couple years later that I would have the moment that changed my perspective. 

I realized one day, how long my Aunt was hiding who she was. She was talking to us about it, and explained how part of her always knew, but she would force it down deeper and deeper. She was even about to marry a man, until she got diagnosed with breast cancer and realized she could not leave this Earth without living her truth. The fact that someone would feel they had to hide such a huge, important part of their life was shocking to me. I began to wonder who else in this world is hiding who they are for fear of their family or friends rejecting them, something I never imagined before.  And I hope that as we progress as a society, we can learn to accept others like my family loves my Aunt, so they can begin to accept themselves and truly be happy.