A year ago today at approximately 2:20 PM I lost my wonderful mother. Not surprisingly, it will be a rough day today. I had lost my father in the fall of 2006 and at times I still find it hard to believe that they are both gone. They were certainly the glue that had held the family together and that void has yet to be filled. I have spoken often about how lucky I was compared to so many to have parents who never flinched from fully supporting me when I came out to them in August, 2002. Their love and constant affirmation are one of the things that helped me survive the often horrible coming out journey. In their honor - and in honor of Hampton Roads Business OutReach ("HRBOR") I used a not insignificant part of my inheritance to endow a scholarship through the Hampton Roads Community Foundation which is described as follows on the Foundation's website:
In addition to honoring my parents in a lasting way I wanted to provide a small piece of help to LGBT youth whose parents have not been as wonderfully accepting as mine were. The first scholarship award will be in May, 2012 (application forms can be found here). Some readers have been wonderful and made donations to the scholarship: Charles, Jim, Carole, Stephen, Keelung, and others - you know who you are - and I thank you from the bottom of my heart in helping to honor my parents in a lasting way. Online donations can be made here and one only need to indicate the scholarship name to have it go to the endowment for this scholarship.
As always, my readers continue to be an inspiration - and at times a lifeline - and I thank all of you who have supported me emotionally since this blog began in earnest in April, 2007.
George D. and Marion Phelps Hamar HRBOR Scholarship – For self-identifying lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) students graduating from high schools in the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk or Virginia Beach, paying special emphasis to those who have demonstrated involvement in the LGBT community. Recipients must attend a four-year college or university.
In addition to honoring my parents in a lasting way I wanted to provide a small piece of help to LGBT youth whose parents have not been as wonderfully accepting as mine were. The first scholarship award will be in May, 2012 (application forms can be found here). Some readers have been wonderful and made donations to the scholarship: Charles, Jim, Carole, Stephen, Keelung, and others - you know who you are - and I thank you from the bottom of my heart in helping to honor my parents in a lasting way. Online donations can be made here and one only need to indicate the scholarship name to have it go to the endowment for this scholarship.
As always, my readers continue to be an inspiration - and at times a lifeline - and I thank all of you who have supported me emotionally since this blog began in earnest in April, 2007.
2 comments:
Michael, I can well understand your comments about your parents. My Mom died 42 years ago and my Dad died 28 years ago.
They were living saints and the void they left has never been filled. There is just something that can't be accepted when someone who has always been there is suddenly not there.
The memorial you have dedicated to their memory is a great thing. I'm sure they would approve.
Jack Scott
Thinking of you Michael and knowing how proud both of your folks are of you and all you've done
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