Today I’m sharing a few words over at my friend Ben Moberg’s blog, Registered Runaway. I’ve been reading Ben for over a year and I feel a deep debt of gratitude to him for opening my eyes to the LGB experience. Today I’m honored to contribute to his Love Letters series with a message of reconciliation and love for my LGBTQ friends. This post is incredibly important to me, because I wasn’t always affirming of the LGBTQ community, and because I’m sharing a story that has grieved me deeply for more than 10 years. Writing this post was the first time I really allowed myself to confront my regret. I hope you’ll read it, and I hope that you’ll offer kindness and respect in the comments.

“Dear Friend,

A few nights ago I was fiddling around on my phone as I waited for my husband to get home from work when I found a message. It was from a friend I haven’t seen in a long time. We don’t know each other well anymore, but we catch glimpses of one another’s lives through links and statuses and photos. I was surprised to see she had contacted me directly, and even more surprised by what she said …” (Read more here.)