Today, as I was preparing for my release party, I gave my uncle Joe his copy of my memoir. Throughout the day, I walked past his room and I noticed, through his open door that he had started reading and didn’t look up until he was finished with my printed words. Afterwards, he came up to me and gave me a hug. As he walked away, he called out to me that he wished I would have come to him for help when I was younger. Sometimes, even though we are amongst each others lives, we really don’t know what is happening behind closed doors. He was there during my childhood, but he was also living his own life and experiences. My uncles and my Nanu always made me feel safe growing up, although they weren’t always around, I knew that they protected me the best way they knew how.
