The Last Page Reveals the Secret
I suppose all grandparents are proud of their grandchildren. So am I. But I also aspire to BE like my grandchildren. In spite of all the negative press about young people today, my grandchildren are growing into compassionate, caring and responsible citizens.
One of my granddaughters is a senior in high school and has been submitting applications for college admission and scholarships. With her permission, I am sharing an essay she wrote in response to an application requirement. She not only makes me proud; she makes me think.
You haven’t read the book until you’ve reached the last page. My cover may lead you to believe you have read this story many times, so be sure you read all the way to the end. I want you all to know that this is something I write about, not because I think it is some sob story that will win you over, but because it has molded me and my views on the world.
My cover is genuine and real. The “secret” I bottle up is not something that changes who I am as an individual. Just because my cover is misleading does not mean that it is a façade. This secret also does not define me, but encourages me to be strong and reminds me to be sure I always read others’ stories to the very last page.
This secret is not a secret because it is something of which I am ashamed, but because it is something that I typically don’t readily share with others. In other areas, where the population is more diverse and tolerant, this may not have a huge effect on people’s lives. However, where I live, in a small town in eastern North Carolina, things are not as accepted. The harsh reality consists of judgment and prejudice towards others and their differences. As a result, I do not share the secret with just anyone, because I do not want it to define me or my character. I do not want people to see me only as this secret. I am much, much more.
The secret is one I have harbored since I was very young. I struggle to remember a time where I did not have this secret with me. As I recall, the air was crisp, and the breeze was refreshing. I was eight and unbeknownst to me, the secret was about to be revealed. Ever since that moment, when the smell of coffee was so strong you could taste it, and the shower ran faintly in the background, I knew that the last page of my book would say this, “My dad is gay.”
The final page says this not because it is the last thing I want people to remember, but it is something that governs my beliefs and how I treat others. It makes me consider others’ circumstances on a more personal level, instead of simply judging them by their cover. It inspires me to invest time and emotion into other people because I have learned that the cover is not always telling, but the last page is often revealing. I am not “the girl with the gay dad”, but I am the girl who not only accepts, but celebrates others’ differences, faults, and beliefs because of it.
In life, I hope to let this “secret” and the values that I have obtained from it, navigate me and influence my life, both professionally and personally. My goals for the future, in college and beyond are led with the impact of this reality. They are shaped by the insight and knowledge that not everything is as it seems. Often someone is experiencing something that may be invisible and unfathomable to others. I believe that many people in my community and in my school would never envision that this would be the last page of my book, which is why I have embraced the cliché “never judge a book by its cover.” So, when you smell the coffee, let it remind you to be kind to others, find light in all situations, and be the good needed in our world today.
When I first read my granddaughter’s essay, I cried. It made me examine my own views and values. She, and other teens like her, give me hope for the future. Also, she reminds me to live in the present with empathy and compassion. Why would I not want to be like her?
I am Vicki Peel, Ed.D., a retired educator, and administrator, as well as a blogger at http://HERLifeHacks.com.
