Christianity
Went to a Baptist church as a child because my mom made me
Went to Catholic Church as a teenager because she hated it
(I was so Catholic I became the President of Young Catholic Students Association)
Went to a non-denominational church in my early 20s
And by my mid-20s, I was so religious I had been on multiple short-term missionary trips and trained for a year to do long-term missions
However, somewhere on that path
I realized there was too much I didn’t agree with and became non-religious
I am 35 now and most people in my life assume I am still a Christian
I never correct them
You always have to explain the most to the people who matter the least.
Islam
Islam and I hold hands and drink tea often
Our meeting was traumatic
We’ve made peace with it
We started seeing one another before I turned 5 and it has remained a constant presence in my life
I’m aware this makes some people a tad uncomfortable
I honestly don’t care
I’ve been through more than anyone ever should
And if Islam is one of the few gifts I got from that then I am okay with it
It is not a thing that needs to be explained
It is not a thing that is good or bad
It is a thing that just is.
***
When it comes to religion
The people who love me the most
(On both sides of the religious spectrum)
Nod and look the other way
It’s a love language
An acceptance
That my being alive is reason enough
Reason enough
To leave me alone
They know I always eventually tell…
When I’m ready.
