My annual Christmas BFF reunion was last night. It’s a sacred tradition amongst by “besties”. During our holiday soiree, memories of a young Lewis surfaced.
When Lewis was four, he asked what “gay” meant. We were at a dinner party when someone said the word and a curious little one wanted to know the meaning. A large number of my friends are gay males but I had never explained homosexuality to Lewis.I believed he would naturally find out why he had an Uncle Denny and an Aunt Chris. When the time came to explain the concept to him, I would know. Apparently it was time.
With adult eyes upon me, one of them a gay male himself, I told my son that when a man and woman are in love, many times they get married. And sometimes, like Uncle Denny and Aunty Chris, a man and a man fall in love. And sometimes a woman and a woman fall in love. And when the two people in love are the same kind of person, that is what gay means.
Lewis sat pensive for awhile and replied, “It’s just not probable.”
Jump two years later to Lewey’s 6th birthday party, hosted by one of my best friends, Kim (or lady with the hammock as Lewey called her for years). As guests arrived to the birthday bash, Lewey and a little friend were playing in a Kim’s sunroom and Denny and Chris walked back to find the birthday boy. They showed him the brightly wrapped present they had brought and told him when he was ready, the gift would be in the living room.
As they were walking out of the sun room, Lewis turned to his buddy and said:
“That’s Uncle Denny and Aunt Chris. They’re gay – get over it.”
Bones and Heart 