Steven Skelley

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS 42 Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! Hello my loves, It is just a week before Christmas 2021. I think about you every day. I cannot make myself believe that this will be the first Christmas since your births that you will not be getting Christmas gifts from Pawpaw. I wrote to your asking your parents what you would like for Christmas but they refused to reply to me. Please know that I did not abandon you or forget you at Christmas or any other time. I was simply banned from your lives because my husband and I are gay and we have different political beliefs than your parents.   I cannot describe how it has broken my heart to lose my family. You will probably be adults if you ever find my messages to you. If I am still alive, I hope that you will find me. If I am not alive, please know in your hearts that you were loved without measure by Pawpaw. I did not abandon you. I love you all, Connor, Bryson and Archer. Pawpaw I

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS 41 Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! As a singer/songwriter, I have performed in many different and sometimes odd venues from a one-room schoolhouse to churches to schools to theaters to television to radio to coffehouses to restaurants to festivals and more. One of the zaniest happened in Akron, Ohio. I was approached by a biker wearing his club leather and colors. He had long hair and a long beard and huge arm muscles. He explained that he was a club member and he owned a biker bar. BUT, he had recently come to follow God and had turned his biker bar into a biker coffehouse. No more alcohol! He asked me to come sing in his biker no-alcohol bar. I did! Singing Jesus-music to a bunch of bikers deprived of alcohol turned out to be a blast. It probably helped that I looked like them at the time. Step outside your comfort zone. It may be a blast! Hugs, Pawpaw

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS 40 Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! Today is November 4, 2021. Today started at 8:10 a.m. with my 27th surgery. This one was on my right knee. It is called a Nerve Ablation. The surgeon goes into my knee in three spots and uses a laser to burn the nerves to death so I won't have pain for several months. It has been an especially difficult day because I have been missing you and thinking about you. I looked through photos of you that I have here. At one point, I even kissed my phone looking at a photo of you. My heart is broken.  Dear Archer, I wish that I had been allowed to know you, hold you and spend time with you. Even from afar, I still loved and love you. Pawpaw

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS 39 Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! Dearest boys, It is October 22, 2021. In the past several weeks, I have reached out to your parents again trying to heal our family. I sent you boys gifts by mail. For Connor and Bryson, I sent a set of foam rockets that are launched by stepping on a foot pad. For Archer, I sent a wind-up blue fish that swims in the bathtub. I sent your Mom a a text message. She didn't reply. I sent your Dad a text message. He didn't reply. I sent emails to your Mom and Dad. They didn't reply. I am so sorry that we are no longer a family. I miss you and love you all. Hugs, Pawpaw

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS 38 Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! You Think You Have Time by Steven Skelley

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS 37 Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! When I Look At A Tree by Steven Skelley

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS 36 Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! Enjoy my video of Treasures Of Yesteryear by Steven Skelley

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS 35 Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! Why I Celebrate LGBTQ Pride by Steven Skelley I can trace my maternal family line back to 1720 when Abraham McWilliams was born. He sailed to the New World, settled in Pennsylvania and his son Samuel fought in the Lancaster County Militia for American freedom. I am proud of that history. Just as I have a place in the history of my genealogical family, I am also a part of another family. I have a place in the history of the homosexual family. Unfortunately, unlike my genealogical history that can be easily traced, the accomplishments of my homosexual brothers and sisters have been erased. Cave drawings and art from the Mesolithic period in on Sicily, Bethlehem, Zimbabwe, Czech Republic, Egypt and more depict LGBTQ members of society. Millions of people throughout human history have been born like me. Some societies valued my family. Most societies shunned, imprisoned, castrated, tort

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS  Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! My loves, make the most of every minute because we never know how many we have left. Love you forever, Pawpaw

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS   Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! My loves, love is more than a sweet feeling. Love you forever, Pawpaw

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS  Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! My loves, nature has amazing lessons to teach us if we'll take the time to look and listen. Love you forever, Pawpaw

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS  Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! My loves, I wish that I had spent more time listening to life stories of older people in my life. In their stories are treasures of yesteryear. I hope you search for them and treasure them. Love you forever, Pawpaw

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! My loves, trust your heart You'll know whe someone cannot be trusted. Love you forever, Pawpaw

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS  Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! My loves, For decades of my life I looked in the mirror and saw the real me who wanted to be set free. You see, I had created a fake me that would fit in with the people around me. Finally, I set the mirror me free. Love you forever, Pawpaw

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS  Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! My loves, we each are given only a small amount of time on this planet. Make the most of your time. Be you! Love you forever, Pawpaw

PAWPAW'S  MESSAGES TO MY GRANDSONS Pawpaw loves Connor! Pawpaw loves Bryson! Pawpaw loves Archer! The human journey is universal. We all begin and end. Our paths may be different. Our colors may be different. Our luck may be different. Even so, we will all have a beginning and then take our place in the line marching toward our end. It is the way of nature. So, I sit here today making this rhyme to remind you to make the most of your time standing in line – Steven Skelley Pawpaw loves Connor, Bryson and Archer!