Parenting with Pride: Join My New Book Club! | More Human More Kind

Hi everyone, I am so excited to let you know that I am launching my quarterly book club to discuss my brand new book, Parenting with Pride: Unlearn Bias and Embrace, Empower, and Love Your LGBTQ Teen. This idea came to me from a very good friend who was like, there's so much great stuff in here and it brings up so many questions for people. Why not create a space where people can come and discuss this and ask these questions and just be in a space with others who are, are wanting to understand and wanting to know. So that is what I have done. It is, uh, kicking off in October. So just a few months from when I'm recording this, this is going to be living on my website. So I am so excited. Um, for whenever you actually do see this video, know that I will be offering this book club on a quarterly basis. So just make sure that you are signed up for my newsletter, my emails, so that you are notified when the next one is. But for the time being, I thought that I would read just a little bit from the introduction of this book, uh, that is truly my heart and soul and something that I just want everyone to read and to learn from, to feel empowered and inspired by. So here is just a little bit from the introduction of the book, and I look forward to seeing you at some point within a book club. Out of the greatest despairs come the greatest gifts. Unknown. As if caught in an endless nightmare, I flail. Darkness is all around me. In the distance, I see an inviting light, a warmth that draws me, but I can't quite get there. I am frozen. Fear grips my chest. Terror and uncertainty cloud my mind, making every decision and every thought feel like it is life or death. But the light beckons. It finds strength I knew not was there. I wrote this in my journal soon after Connor came out as gay. This is where I lived for a while, in the space between leaving the comfort of all I thought I knew and entering a new world of mind-expanding, life-altering awesomeness. Does that feel familiar to you? Has your child recently come out to you as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or any other orientation and/or identity? Are they struggling with depression or anxiety? Are they self-harming or isolating or shutting you out? Are you terrified that you won't ask the right questions or be the support that they need? So many questions, I know, and they can either send your heart racing or steel your mind and determination. Few things in this world can strip you to your core like having a child who is struggling or in crisis or worse and having absolutely no idea how to help or support them. If this resonates with you, you've picked up the right book. And I am so glad you are here. Perhaps you are feeling scared, sad, angry, alone, lost, numb, or overwhelmed. Or perhaps you are happy, relieved, and searching for tools. No matter where you are, I'm sending you a big hug. I can empathize and assure you that whatever you are feeling, Even when those feelings are big and uncomfortable, it's okay. It's more than okay. In fact, you are on a path to incredible beauty, understanding, and enlightenment. Maybe your path has just begun. Your child has just come out to you, and the plethora of feelings and uncertainty about how to best support them is beyond overwhelming. Maybe you are mid-journey and wondering if you will ever know stability again. Regardless of where you are, I am here to tell you that there is a light and you can reach it. Hang on and just breathe. If you just rolled your eyes or let out an exasperated sigh, I get it. Parenting is hard. Feeling uncomfortable sucks. Layer in feeling scared or confused or lost or alone. Well, that's just enough to put anyone over the edge. So express those feelings and read on. If you are anything like me, you want answers and a plan of action. Maybe you have desperately wished so many times for a magic wand to make it all okay. I know I certainly did. And perhaps most of all, you'd like a moment of calm and peace so you can catch your breath and regroup. I've been there too. You may feel like you're on an emotional roller coaster. The sleepless nights, the constant knot in your stomach, the fear clutching your heart ever tighter, the inability to think or form a coherent thought mixed with the delight that your child is connecting with their authentic self, that they are sharing their thoughts and feelings with you in a new way. It can all be overwhelming. I celebrate and empathize deeply with you. I feel it even now as I let myself relive our experience from the beginning. Here is the key: this is a journey. A journey for your child. A journey for you. A journey together. I am here to tell you that you are not alone. Let love guide you. Allow yourself and your child to pause, rejoice in the authenticity of the moment, the courage of your child, and the beauty of the road ahead. Let the wise words of A.A. Milne be a mantra: You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. The mission of this book is to provide support, education, and empowerment for Anyone who knows and loves an LGBTQ+ child. No one should feel alone. Wrapped up in these pages are ideas to implement, questions to ponder, and tools to help you grow and evolve. You will probably cry and you might even laugh, but my greatest hope is that you will relate to the stories and research and feel a sense of relief. I'm so looking forward to meeting you and doing this book club with you. Welcome.