Perspectives and Reflections
It is week two of having my spouse's nephew up staying with us during his summer vacation. He is having the time of his life as we do all the things with him that his parents never extend the effort to do. We've taken him on ever more challenging bikerides of 20+ miles and hikes up and into the alpine tundra zones of the high peaks in the Presidential Range in New Hampshire. He's shared time and an ability to speak and communicate with us as his peer and as his mentor when need and opportunity present. He's enjoyed us as friends and as family. He's enjoyed spending time with me as his uncle and... his aunt. It speaks volumes when he is able to clearly evoke in his own words that it doesn't matter if I am presenting as a male, wearing hiking pants and covered in mud on a trail in the forest or donning a pretty blouse, skirt and heels and made up to the nines. To him, I am the same person and the same persona. He has told us countless times how...