Series: Deep Thoughts

I want there to be hearts that beat a little lighter just knowing I exist and there are smiles that bloom like sunlight when I cross their thoughts. I want my presence to bring a little warmth, ease, and joy to others’ lives. Friendship, to me, is a sacred bond, a quiet promise to be the reason someone feels seen and valued. I hold onto the knowledge that my existence makes a difference, and in turn, I strive to be someone worth remembering.

What if the peace you’re chasing is actually keeping you asleep? In a world that rewards quiet compliance, true healing might look less like serenity and more like staying present, even when it hurts. This post explores why “wellness” without justice isn’t peace—it’s sedation.

Paulo Coelho once wrote, “Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about un-becoming everything that isn’t really you…”
For many of us, especially LGBTQ+ people, “un-becoming” means peeling away the armor we’ve worn for survival — the masks, the guarded conversations, the careful performances that kept us safe but kept us distant. In my own life, that armor helped me get through a small-town childhood, but it also kept me from living fully. Moving to Greensboro changed that. Coming out brought freedom, but it also brought loss — including a best friend I’ve never seen again. This is what I learned about the cost and the reward of un-becoming.