Received this notification from LinkedIn. Who do they think I am, Dylan G?

I always thought forgiveness required readiness—a sense of resolution or peace. I imagined it would arrive like the prelude to a song. But forgiveness isn’t about a particular clarity or serenity. I forgave, not because I felt it, but because I needed to.

When you know violence intimately, & it doesn’t destroy you, it deepens the way you understand and experience love, joy, respect, & integrity. They are no longer abstract concepts or fleeting feelings. They become profound, tangible, & accessible truths. Because I had known harm…

My first real boyfriend was like a brass band.
There was a rhythm to him, a forward-driving energy, like he was propelled by the thump of a drumline and guided by the sweep of a trombone. He moved with purpose, his momentum commanding attention. He made you wonder where he was going… #firstlove

When my dad died, we didn’t need many words. Our last conversation, over Zoom, was brief, almost elemental. I love you, I said, and he said it back. In that moment, years of estrangement were bridged. #grief #imissmydad