ABSTRACT
EpilogueLeaving science behind and at the risk of being too philosophical, I leave you with three quotations and some personal thoughts.
Nothing is harder than not being oneself.
Yvonne Rosnik, Denver PFLAG mom (personal communication)
Most of us are compelled to be genuine in expressing ourselves. However, if we perceive that some aspect of ourselves is not acceptable to our family, friends, and society, we will hide that part and not openly express it. Hiding parts of ourselves is a painful, constricting process and limits the full expression of our true talents and abilities. It seems to me that one of life’s major tasks is discovering who we are in total, and realizing that hiding parts of ourselves leads to considerable psychological stress and unhappiness. This is an ongoing task as we are constantly changing; our personal growth isn’t done until we die. The most we can hope for is that all of us are allowed to be ourselves, for only then can we achieve true personal freedom and realize our own unique human potentials. It is in the full expression of our true talents and abilities that we give the most back to the people and world that gave us life.
