Unbound Affection
Beyond Labels: A Mother’s Unwavering Support for Her Unique Son
My mother has been the closest friend I’ve had throughout my adulthood. We share a unique bond that transcends the familiar maternal connection. I’ve been visiting my family for the holidays, and my mother and I have had some of the best talks we’ve had in years. We’ve laughed, and we’ve cried, and we’ve disagreed. Like most mothers, my mother knows everything there is to know about me. Last year, I told her that I was bisexual, and she has been engaging with me as we both dive into stepping beyond labels. This short story is about my journey to find unbound affection and a mother’s unwavering support for her unique son.
I have to tell you my mother’s story to understand how she came to practice unbound affection for me as her son. My mother grew up in a community shaped by the Revolutionary War. Native Americans, interracial families, and whites with enslaved laborers carved out a path along the Federal Road. U.S. presidents Andrew Jackson and James Monroe traveled the route. My mother witnessed the aftereffects of decades of segregation and racism. She went to school, and the white girls would call her negro, pull the black girls’ hair, and white people would burn crosses in the yards of black families. Her brothers hide under a cover while driving through white neighborhoods…
