Learning to support him

So much has happened since then: I went with Nick to a succession of gay bars and discos. It was his way of seeing how much I loved him, as I'd said many wrong things to him during those months; but the Lord has been very much in control and we have come through it together.

Some people say, "But your son is still gay." How can you accept that? The answer is that I've given Nick to the Lord to protect. The Lord accepts Nick as he is today - gay - and I must do the same. Nick is the same son I gave birth to seventeen years ago: his love for me has never changed, and my love for him is greater now than at any time in my life.

We must make sure that we never let our children down when they need us most. If we are hurt and scared, think how much more hurt and scared they are. They look to us for help just as we look to our Father in Heaven, who never forsakes us.

Many of Nick's friends come to see me, and my heart goes out to them. Some of their parents cannot handle their feelings, and their children stay in their rooms when all they want is assurance and love of a father and mother. Parents need to tell their children that they are not 'disgusting', that they did not choose to be gay, and that they still love them.

Nick's Father and I divorced just weeks before that letter arrived. He's never been able to accept his son's homosexuality, and this still hurts Nick very deeply. That will take a long time to heal. I pray that in time, society will understand that it's love, understanding, and acceptance that their children need - not abuse and rejection.