I was born on January 22nd 1975, the first and only son of Keith and Vivian Leonard. I was named after my father and the connection with him pretty much ended there. From what I pieced together, he left when I was 6months old. I think the very next day my mother decided that she didn't want to stick around either. So there I was, 6 months old and unwanted. Maybe not completely unwanted, because there was Aunt Rosalie, there was always Aunt Roe. She took me in and raised me the best she could. When her husband got up and left us, we took on life together. Growing up I had a speech problem, she made sure I got into the best speech program that the New York City school system could provide.

When I was 7 my mother got remarried and decided that she wanted me back so we could be a real family. Though I am sure it broke my Aunt's heart, she let me go with them because that is what I said I wanted (my mom knew how to manipulate a 7 year old, congrats mom). When it was discovered that my step father was abusing me, my aunt went to war, had the police come to where we were living (legally she never did lose custody of me) and I was back in safety, because there was Aunt Rosalie, there was always Aunt Roe.

Life had not been kind to me. I had a childhood riddled with abuse, an adulthood trying to come to terms with that abuse, legal troubles that stemmed from things out of my control and a life that was always crumbling around me and that I was always rebuilding. But through it all, whenever I had a need there was my Aunt Rosalie there to bail me out, there was always Aunt Roe. She may never have understood my gender issues, she just figured I was gay, but she loved me unconditionally and tried her best to be supportive.

My aunt had spent years fighting various ailments. and now my mother is going to the hospital to remove my Aunt Rosalie from life support. In my life there had always been a constant, there was always Aunt Roe, and now that is coming to an end and I will face this world alone. I am sad and I am crying. I knew this day would someday come, but what am I going to do now. I love my aunt and this is going to hurt for a very long time.

I was born Keith Lee Leonard Jr., but I will always be Aunt Roe's child and she stuck by me for better or worse, for that I will always love her.