New Things in The Crimson Permanent Assurance

So, this evening Haley said she needed to talk to me and Tim after dinner. I called off from work tonight fakin sick, because I am just over the shit going on there, so this was an interesting coincidence. Tim and I went out to pick up crap from BK for dinner because it has been a long week since school started this week, but after we got home and the kids had eaten dinner, I sat down in the living room with Tim and told Haley that we were ready to hear what she wanted to tell us. She was all flustered and then finally blurted out "I'm gay."

She had said before when I questioned her about what she wanted to talk about that she thought she knew how I would react but not Tim.

Honestly, I am relieved. I told her immediately that it was totally OK and that however she felt about her sexuality was OK with us. I also told her that, at 15, she is too young to act on ANY sexual inclinations she has, and that she needs to give herself time and permission for her feelings to change as she gets older.

Can I just admit here that I am relieved and both a little bit afraid for her at the same time?

Tim questioned her and she said she's felt this way since she was 13, so for two years now. I told her that she could come to us with any questions and that if there was anything that she didn't feel comfortable asking us, that there are several creditable support organizations that she could go to for answers to her questions.

So. Here's a new chapter in my life, parent to a teen who thinks she may be gay. Is it sad that I am just relieved its not something else like drugs? I know how to deal with this, though Tim may be a little freaked out now. He was good, though, he wasn't judgmental at all or dismissive.

I did tell her that it was not something that she can discuss with his parents though. I explained that they grew up in an era where being gay was wrong and that they were not going to understand even though it is 3014 and hello, who even gives a fuck about that? She understood.

So, is this the new normal? I'm not upset or disappointed or anything other than I wish she had told me 2 years ago.

I made a point of telling her that I was proud of her and glad that she was brave enough to tell us at 15. I reminded her that some ppl never tell their parents and that we live in a time when being gay is accepted for the most part. I also reminded her that she should be selective and careful who she shares this information with and how she shares it. It makes me sad that I have to give her that warning, but better to hear it from me.

So, yeah. That happened today.