Happy Birthday to Me!!

I turned 28 today.

I feel like I'm turning 16.

Why?

Because this is the first year where I'm having a celebration as myself.  As Vic.  The first time since I was 15 that I'm not an afterthought or forgotten or where my birthday is having to take a backseat to someone else's celebration.

This is the first year that I feel really and truly loved and supported and it's an amazing thing.

Even in the midst of all of the hell and drama and turmoil that is currently rocking the online M/M community (which I will not discuss), I am surrounded by family.  The family of my choosing.  A family that knows me, supports me anyway, and encourages me to continue to live my truth.

A family where every member wrote to me ahead of time to either wish me Happy Birthday ahead of time, to ask me what I wanted for my birthday (what?! You mean you WANT to give me a present?!), to tell me how proud of me they are, how much they support me and how they want me to keep pushing forward and how they would do anything for me.

This is the first year that I'm not having to force myself or remind myself that I have to be a "girl" in order to please my family.  This is the first year that I won't be calling my friends to come and take me out so I can self-medicate with alcohol over the fact that I had to force myself to be a girl all day long.  This is the first year, of many years to come, where the smile on my face will be genuine and I'll be surrounded by love and affection and support.

This year is the first year, the first birthday, of the rest of my life and it is delicious.

I couldn't ask for a better family if I tried.

So to my mothers:
            Stephani Hecht
            Pati
            NJ Nielsen
To my older brothers:
            Damon Suede
             Brendan (Sid)
To my older sisters:
            MJ O'Shea
            Piper Vaughn
            Cherie Noel
            Taylor Donovan
            Katharina
            LC Chase
            Heidi Cullinan
            Xara X Xanakas
To my younger brothers:
            Thorny-TTBB (and his Jazz)
            Matty
            Brad
To the awesomest Nieceling and Nephrew ever!
To my younger sister:
            Lucy/Kat
To my aunts:
            Embry Carlysle
            Anne Tenino
And to countless friends and supporters and my special English sweethearts:
            Bryl Tyne
            DC Juris
            Daniel Kaine
            Thomas
            Ellis Carrington
            Devon Rhodes
            Gabrielle Evans
            Joyee Flynn
            TA Chase
            Stormy Glenn
            Ethan Day
            Shae Connor
            Samantha
            Luci
            Patty
           Veronica
           Perpetua
           Tj
           Archie
           Kerstin
           Aleksandr
And anyone else that I forgot:


 Thank You All So Much! You are the GREATEST Family a gay boy like me could ever ask for!


Sincerely,


Vic