After my dad passed in the middle of the night, a very loving friend of mine took me to my dad’s house to see him one last time. I gave my dad a kiss on his cold lifeless cheek while my friend and I reminisced about him. Sitting in a room with my immediate family, my aunt tried to comfort me. She said, “Now your dad is with Grandpa and Grandma.” Everyone in the room nodded. She left out one important person. I said, “And Uncle John”. Everyone looked down at their feet. My Uncle John was an openly gay man who had died from AIDS when I was very young. I didn’t know much about him since he moved to Texas, but when we visited him, I remember really liking him. I could not believe in that tender moment that my Catholic family didn’t believe my dad and my uncle were in the same place. I felt very hurt having known such amazing openly gay people.

A couple months later, I went to a women’s health expo at the Birmingham Community Center. I was picked out of a group and read by accomplished psychic Lisa J. Smith. She said so many validating messages to me that I know for a fact everything she said is true. She told me something that I want to share with the world. My dad told her to tell me that he had found his brother on the other side and that they were indeed together. I cried the happiest tears in that audience. I felt him hug me in a big bear hug energetically. It was one of the most healing experiences of my life. There are many misconceptions in this society, so please always follow your heart. To my LGBT brothers and sisters, I feel you. I love you. Stay strong. In the words of Gaga, you were born this way, baby. God doesn’t make any mistakes.