Now that you know....

"Now that you know," she said, "what do you think?"

I think this:

I think I probably should have paid attention to the occasional hints you dropped over the last couple of years; perhaps then I might not have been quite so surprised.

I think that however difficult it may have been to come out and say it, it must have been infinitely more difficult to keep it bottled up inside all this time.

I think you may have underestimated the amount of grief you're going to receive from the arrogantly self-righteous once they find out — but I also think it won't be more than you can handle.

I think it takes a great deal of inner strength to embrace openly a life that so many people deem it their business to scorn.

I think you're indeed fortunate in finding someone to share your new life.

I think everything is probably going to be all right.

Note: This was written for my daughter in the fall of 1996, shortly after she had disclosed that "girlfriend" meant someth