A selfie in a mirror in my childhood bedroom. At a time when this bedroom was no longer mine. Now the house is gone, too, passed out of our family and into the hands of another family.

As a kid I could have never envisioned that one day I would stare into this mirror and finally FINALLY see myself staring back. 

Years of looking and hating what I saw. Years of looking and feeling the disconnect between how I felt and what I saw and what others seemed to see. Years of avoiding the mirror when I could.

And then, finally, the homecoming. To this room, but also to this body. To the truth of myself. To the truth of my heart beating in my chest. 

You are beloved, son. Even when they can’t see what your reflection so clearly shows.