A gay man share the heartbreaking letter his mother sent him to say that she regretted how she treated him when he came out and that she is proud of him.
“I am very proud of you,” the mother wrote. “So proud to see how you have created your path, your self-respect and your compassion for others. You take care of so many others and you are so giving. Everything you do is with such a compassion for others and you really go out of your way to make others lives better.”
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Patrick Abboud is an Australian journalist, and he told news.com.au that he struggled to accept himself growing up with a Lebanese mother and a Palestinian father.
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“Coming out for me felt like life or death,” he said. “In my culture, family is everything and without my family I would have felt dead inside.”
He said that he even had a girlfriend when he was younger and that he tried conversion therapy for years.
Patrick said that his parents accidentally found out that he is gay, though.
“From the moment my parents found out, my life became so incredibly isolating and difficult for a long time,” he said. “If I walked into a room my Dad would get up and walk out.
His mother, Marie Abboud, wasn’t much better.
“My mum was wailing hysterically,” he said. “It felt like I was dying inside. I had to get away for their sake and mine so I went overseas for a number of years. It was an agonizing journey for all of us.”
She wrote in her letter that she “struggled inside for a very long time” when she learned her son is gay, until she understood that gay people “are God’s beautiful creations and there shouldn’t be any discrimination against them.”
Nowadays, things are better for the Abboud family. Patrick moved back to Australia and his parents are “super proud no matter what I do.” They even love his partner.
“I love you and your partner and your friends and the way you always look after each other,” Marie wrote. “You are like family and that’s everything to us in our culture.”
Things are going so well that he asked his mother to participate in the #AbsolutLoveLetters campaign, and she said yes.
“That is a huge deal for Mum,” he said. “She’s a very private person and family matters to her stay in the home.”
But Marie’s letter “made me ugly cry like you wouldn’t believe.”
“My mum is my actual hero. She’s held our family together through such incredible grief and loss. She remains our rock. Having her support literally saved my life.”
Her letter is below.
My darling baby boy Pat,
Well not so much a baby anymore, a beautiful grown up man (but as the youngest in our family you’ll always be my baby son).
When you came out and told me that you are gay I got hysterical as at the time I didn’t understand it, and thought it was your choice to be that way, I wasn’t educated about it, people said it was a shame to our Arabic community and society didn’t accept it.
I struggled inside for a very long time but I started searching, learning and talking to professional people about it until I understood the way I needed to, that gay people don’t have a choice to be how they are, they are God’s beautiful creations and there shouldn’t be any discrimination against them.
In fact, I found after meeting your beautiful partner and some of your gay and lesbian friends, that they are more loving and caring for others than most. I love you and your partner and your friends and the way you always look after each other. You are like family and that’s everything to us in our culture.
The Government needs to stop with their discrimination. We are all equal and we all deserve to be treated equally no matter what. I will continue to fight for this, for you and your lovely partner and your wonderful friends to be treated with the respect and dignity you all deserve.
I am very proud of you. So proud to see how you have created your path, your self-respect and your compassion for others. You take care of so many others and you are so giving. Everything you do is with such a compassion for others and you really go out of your way to make others lives better. That makes me proud. I’m also so proud of all you continue to achieve. You shine with success in everything you do and you look very handsome on the television!
Son, I will always have my mind and heart open to all the rights that you deserve as a human being. I hope we will continue to work together to keep peace and justice in the world.
I will always support you in any time you need my support and I will always support the LGBT community.
Love is the biggest power of all and no matter what happens, what anyone says, I love you so much. Love is our leader.
Stay strong, keep smiling and keep your head held high.
Love Mum.
