And here I am celebrating the 9th Pride Month since coming out and the enormity of it all is still sinking in. All the people I met and all of the things I’ve done and, yes, the mistakes I’ve made.

There will be bad times. But there will be good times. So remember. There’s the hard truth – you won’t be happy all the time. Suffering and pain exists. There’s the healing truth – you can overcome, no matter how hard, no matter how dark. Just accept that you can change the things that can be changed, but accept the things that you cannot change. That will save you a lot of anxiety and hurt in life. And finally, the hopeful truth – good things have happened, are happening and will happen. Put things in perspective. Remember to appreciate and live in those moments and to not let the bad things make you miss those opportunities to just be happy.