The Closet
It was about 12 years ago and my sister was in the lunch room with her friend Patrick. She and Patrick went over to her normal lunch table so she could introduce Patrick to her friends. My mom was working in the school and told me this story because she witnessed it. Her friends said "we do not want him to sit with us" and "he is not welcome on this table." My sister infuriated, stands up and slams her hands on the table and yells, "he is my friend and he will sit here." In tears from nerves she sits down with her friend Patrick and leaves her other friends in shock. The reason they did not want Patrick to sit with them was because he was different from the other boys, not athletic, liked music, art, playing with make up. He ended up coming out as gay in high school and my sister and him grew somewhat apart at that time but he still remembers her kindness and her standing up for him. My sister inspired me to be best in life and I will always look up to her. In high school we were a team that never let anyone go bullied from students with disabilities to students that were just a little different.