I found the memoir “The Walls Around Me” moving because it describes the author’s fear of telling her family that she is gay. “Allie” writes about the metaphoric walls around her being constricting: “If I broke through them even the littlest bit everyone would flinch, startled, and I’d retreat back inside.” She harms herself and obsesses over the littlest mistakes, until one day she realizes, “It’s okay. You’re not an awful person,” and she finally lets go of her fear.

This article inspired me because I can relate – not to her exact situation but to the way she feels about herself. Thank you, Allie, for showing me how to forgive myself.