I had been living a lie for the past 10 years. I had been married to my wife, and we had three wonderful kids together.
We had created a life together and I was happy and fulfilled, but I was also deeply hiding my true identity. I had been living a double life and I was done with the pretense.
Ten years ago, I was a scared young man who had just graduated. I had grown up in a conservative household and I had never been exposed to the idea of liking guys.
I had been dating my wife for over two years at that point, and I had never even entertained the notion of being anything other than straight but that all changed one fateful night.
I was out with some old friends when I met someone who I immediately connected with. It was like a lightning bolt had gone through my body and I knew that I had feelings for this person that I had never had for anyone before.
It was both exciting and terrifying at the same time. I knew that I had to tell my wife the truth, but I was scared of the consequences.
I eventually decided that I had to take the plunge, and I told my wife the truth.
To her credit, she was understanding and supportive. We agreed to stay married and make it work, but I had to keep my identity a secret from the rest of the world. I had to hide my true self, and I felt like I was living a lie.
In the past 10 years, I have made a life for myself and my family. I am still married to my wife, and my three amazing kids are the light of my life.
However, I have never been able to truly be myself or live an authentic life. I was always pretending to be someone I wasn’t, and it was slowly killing me inside.
Therefore, I finally decided to come out of the ‘closet’. I told my wife, my kids, and my closest friends the truth. I was scared, but I knew that this was the only way to be truly happy and fulfilled.
I was so relieved to finally be able to be who I am without having to hide it anymore.