Masks Make Relationships Impossible
How many masks do you wear?
Years ago, I saved an image of a person peeling away mask after mask until only a vulnerable human being remained underneath. When I recently came across it again, I realized why it had stayed with me all these years: I recognized myself in it.
In this reflection on identity, authenticity, accountability, and faith, I explore why we hide, what it costs us to keep performing, and the freedom that comes when we stop trying to manage everyone else's perception of us. Along the way, I wrestle with a difficult question: What if the goal isn't becoming someone new, but having the courage to let ourselves be fully seen?
Because maybe masks don't just hide us from one another.
Maybe masks make relationships impossible.
Unpacking Jere: A Different Kind of Growth Project
Who am I without the titles, accomplishments, responsibilities, and roles I've spent a lifetime building? That question launched a six-month journey of self-discovery, healing, and honest reflection. In this post, I share why I've begun asking harder questions, examining old patterns, and learning that growth isn't always about finding new answers—sometimes it's about becoming honest enough to face yourself.
What If I’m Not Done Yet?
There’s a moment—somewhere between your third or fourth reinvention—where you start to ask yourself a very uncomfortable question: Am I evolving… or do I just not know how to stay put? This is a story about what it costs to keep starting over… and what it might mean if you’re not done yet.
Still Choosing Her
“But you’re gay, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why do you want to date me?”
I didn’t have a good answer then.
Twenty-seven years later… I do.
Living in the And: 24 Years Later
Twenty-four years of marriage isn’t a fairy tale—it’s a choice. One we’ve made again and again through the bliss, the frustration, and everything in between. What we’ve built together isn’t perfect, but it’s ours… and it means more than the idea of something “better.” And if our story doesn’t quite make sense at first glance—you’re not alone.