Aloe Vol. 31

Aloe

honeysuckle AT THE INTERSECTION OF CURIOSITY AND A DAYDREAM

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welcome EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

VOL. XXXI

64 Xzavier V. Simon 31 Aloe Honeysuckle 70 Facebook/Instagram: @xzaviervsimon 54 Website: www.xzaviervsimon.org

97 Instagram @aloe.honeysuckle 46 Website: www.aloehoneysuckle.com

r e v e r o f s u o i r cu

THE MODERN QUEER MAGAZINE VOL. 31

ALOE HONEYSUCKLE QUEER EARTHY LIVING Welcome to Season 05, Vol. 31 of The Modern Queer Magazine. I'll save the excitement and slight moment of disbelief at what a milestone this is. Over 30 queer people of color are featured, and that number is continuously growing. Now, I want to introduce this volume's dynamic being.

Aloe Honeysuckle and I met, I believe, two years ago.

We followed each other on Instagram, and I watched Aloe's evolution from afar. There was something strikingly spiritual, earthy, and resilient about her. And as you'll learn, what drew me to ask Aloe to be a part of the Modern Queer Magazine was due to those things.

However, I initially asked her to be a part of Season 04, but life, on both ends, required us to redefine and trust in love, light, and the voices that guide us. The result of which is captured in our conversation.

I am proud and beyond excited to present Aloe. Her story is fantastic. What she says and how she says it is powerful. It was a conversation full of wisdom, mutual respect, and laughter.

So with that being said, please enjoy the brief narrative of Aloe Honeysuckle.

Rebirth & Redefinition "aloe honeysuckle was conceived at the intersection of curiosity and a daydream. aloe honeysuckle is dedicated to the eccentric, the weirdo, the queerdo, and to the everyday oddball looking to quiet the everyday noise."

Thank you so much for agreeing to have this conversation about who you are, your life, and your journey.

She said it was delicious. If only I could eat that every day and get people with that mentality around me every day.

Before we even began, I was thinking what my first entry point was gonna be. I wanted to say thank you for even offering this opportunity. The moment when you reached out was a difficult time. That was when I needed to self-challenge, trying to expose myself more to the world and seeing if I had enough confidence to put myself out there for anyone to resonate with anything that I had to say. It was at the peak of the pandemic, and I was alone. I felt alone.

But think about how much more we can do if we put ourselves out there and believed in ourselves.

If [only] we didn't fill ourselves with as much doubt as we do. And it's so much easier to be small—to be big, to be expansive; there's fear there.

There’s no difference between then and now. [laughs] We’re still in the pandemic. I’m still alone, but I don’t feel alone. That’s the biggest difference. Now I feel accompanied by my dreams, the things I want to manifest, and by the purpose that I feel with starting my small business. So, I feel like I already have my army. [laughs] But at that time, I didn’t have that. At that time, I was doing a lot of crying. I was low.

For you to have seen anything that said anything to you was like whatever is it they see, I’m just going to receive it and be grateful for it.

It was your spirit. It was your energy. Where I am in my life, I can see people's light, even if it's covered. That's what draws me to people. So when I was thinking about people I wanted to interview, my spirit was like, you need to reach out. There's something about this person whose story needs to be told, especially by what they're doing, their life journey, who they are spiritually. You out here living a dynamic life and kudos to you for finding your light cause it never left. You just needed to get back in touch with it.

Incredible fear.

Criticism. Who’s not scared of being criticized, you know. Let's be real. That exists too.

I knew this was going to be good. Based on your life experiences, I knew that there was so much wisdom in you to be able to share, not just with me, but just with the people who are going to read this. Recently when I interviewed somebody, I had to tone myself down a little. I like to hype people up. I want people to feel good about the stuff that they’re doing. So many people I meet are doing something that I’m not, which fascinates me. But, this is our first time meeting. I will start this off by saying that your name is Aloe Honeysuckle. I love this name. It’s soft, earthy, vibey.

Yes! You got it! All of that.

How did you come up with this new identity for yourself? Because this is you taking ownership of yourself, your life, and everything you're doing under this name.

I love what you said in the little bio that you sent me. This utopia that you wish to exist in. I read that to one of my best friends.

What a great question. First, kudos to you for this one. It goes back to this idea of my utopia. I started thinking about this when I was sitting on the couch in Brooklyn maybe four years ago, I think with my roommate. We were both thinking about what our perfect world would look like.

And then, I posed the question: If we were able to name ourselves, what would we name ourselves?

We criticize our parents for the names they choose for us—I do. But what if we were tasked with that responsibility of naming ourselves?

Then what? Who else would we blame if we did not like it?

Oh my god, really?

Right.

It’s beyond bizarre to hear anyone say this because so many feel so small. We never think anybody cares about anything that we’re doing or anything we have to say or think. People want you to be pleasant, you know?

I was thinking through different beautiful names like Willow. Aloe is what feels right. And then honeysuckle, at that time, was a new fragrance that I had fell upon. And I couldn't believe I had never smelled it before. So, when I did smell it, I knew I wanted to be able to smell it often. I wanted it to be a part of my life. So that's where aloe honeysuckle came from. It kind of just flows.

[laughs] That's my little boy having fun. How did you grow up to be able to come into such selfawareness, consciousness, and spirituality?

When I talk to people on this path, we come to this moment in our lives because we realized that we had to overcome a lot of traumas and let go of a lot of things that were no longer serving us.

It does!!

A big part of my trauma lies in having to be small.

I was always that person who wanted that hug.

You know, Full House? I wanted to be in Full House bad, and I didn't live there.

And it does make you pause. Like, what does that say? [laughs] It makes you pause, and then you say it. It comes out, and it flows, and it sounds melodic.

It’s also a bit sensual and a little sexual. It’s like, ooooo what you doing over there? Tell me about these botanical gardens you are creating. [laughs] But talk about a way to define and redefine oneself.

Redefine…. yes exactly that. I'm with you. I feel you in totality.

Also thank you for including your Sun, Moon, and Venus signs. [laughs] Another tidbit in your bio. You said: Conceived at the intersection of curiosity and a daydream.

I said that makes sense—the curiosity from the Aquarius and the daydreams from Pisces. We share the same moon sign in Pisces. I am a Cancer sun, Pisces moon, and a Scorpio rising.

Plus, my Venus is in Gemini. I run into so many Pisces moon people, and we just click. That ability to dream, create, and go places is amazing.

That was me with The Cosby's—The Huxtables.

Right, you can relate. I have been yearning for tenderness and full acceptance since forever. I know that's a common theme for everyone. Who is not yearning for acceptance? That has been the theme that has stuck with me since then. If my path isn't towards alignment, if it's not towards liberation, then I'm going in the wrong direction, and we need to reroute immediately.

Immediately!

I have no business going anywhere besides where I need to be, where I should be, and where I’m meant to be. I was that person in high school who was the Robin to people’s Batman’s. I was always the best friend on the side. I was never the main character, you know.

Always the supporting role.

I was always the supporting role! And I was so comfortable being in that position because at least I had a Batman to my right. I was grateful to be in that position.

I love to know that you're a Cancer. The Zodiac has many signs. Honestly, I only care for maybe three, and Cancer is a part of that three. I have never met a single Cancer that I didn't feel tenderness towards or feel that from is what I should say—both the give and the reception.

It's funny, I was having a conversation about this word today, and you said it. So, here we go with a full circle moment again. You said liberation, and my friend asked what does liberation mean? And so, I'm going to posit that question to you.

Yeaaaaa.

I think about this question very often. When I think of liberation, I think of waking up and honoring my human design.

You’re basking in this. [laughs]

If my path isn't towards alignment, if it's not towards liberation, then I'm going in the wrong direction.

"

Alignment

Aloe Honeysuckle

"

"You cannot find what you are looking for in a place that is not offering that."

– Liberation

So, if my human design, physiologically, my body doesn't tell me to wake up until 8:30 or 9, I'm not going to wake up. I don't believe that people should be woken up, startled, by alarm clocks.

That slightly goes in the kind of inhumane category. And what's the rush? Whose schedule are we on? Why can't we operate in a way that we are just naturally designed? There's a lot of things that I feel I don't understand when it doesn't have to be. If the call is that you need more rest, you should be able to do that and not feel guilty about it.

expand past that. My first job was in Washington, DC. I was the third and fourth-grade School Counselor, and to work in that system, there’s nothing but contradiction. It’s one big oxymoron.

There’s so many contradictions, and I need alignment in my life. When my light bulb went off, it said you cannot find what you are looking for in a place that is not offering that. And if what I’m looking for is alignment, I’m not going to find that here. So why continue to stay there? The moment I had that thought, everything changed. I was like, you, right. You right. [laughs]

Right and thinking all those thoughts that make you become so stressed. That weighs on your body and your spirit.

I’m dead.

EVERYTHING! I can't live like that. Thank goodness I've had the privilege of being able to create this bubble for myself this past year. I'm mortified having to know that I can't do this forever, financially speaking.

Well, listen, stranger things have happened.

I’m for it! If miracles want to happen and money wants to fall from the clouds, I’ll catch it. But until that happens, it’s inevitable. At some point, I’m going to have to go back out there. But through this time [I want] to give myself that time of care, nourish myself, eat plant-based food, and move my body in a gentle way.

But I think the good thing about the experience you're having right now is that when it is time for you to go back out there, you will have the tools and the experience necessary to balance that. I think about what I do right now. I interact with so many people because I'm talking with them and getting their stories.

That's a lot of energy exchanged. Similarly, if I didn't take the time to disconnect and gain peace and understand who I am as a person, as a spiritual being, I would be all over the place doing this. So, if I remember correctly, you were in education. I know you ultimately left. What was that light bulb moment when you decided that?

When I graduated from grad school, my main goal was to be able to have an out from New York. I’m from New York, and I was ready to

I was affirming the shit out of myself. [laughs] Like good thinking, yo that's intelligent shit right there. [laughs] Like that's some sophisticated stuff. No, for real. [laughs] Them lightbulb moments a trip. [laughs] That type of thinking only happens when you give yourself the freedom to think. You've got to spend time trying to figure out where the socialized version of you ends. And where the authentic version of you begins. And being able to discern and distinguish, which is what, and where’s who? Where’s me, and where’s the fabricated version.

Lemme give you them poetry snaps.

That's socialized thinking trying to convince myself that I need to stay. Knowing that I feel so disrupted. My center, my aura, my whole operation, like I don’t feel good. [laughs] I love the look on your face. That is such an authentic face to make. [laughs] I don’t feel good. When you’re selfaware, you know how you should feel. When you’re not feeling right, please don’t ignore that.

Those are the alarms that we need to wake up.

Those are the red flags that people need to be talking about on Twitter. I do not feel safe. I do not feel good. I do not feel in alignment. I do not feel this is my purpose and what I'm supposed to be doing. This is pulling me further into a version of myself that I do not like. This is pulling me into a thought that is destructive to my wellbeing.

That begs the question of survival versus...

We must be synced because I was about say with that comes fear. [laughs] We all are socialized into this thought that you have this job, you need to get money, or it’s gonna end badly. Then you have that light bulb moment where you recognize this ain’t working out for me. How did you come out of or push through that fear despite all the uncertainty?

More than fear, there was a lot of doubt. Is that even possible? Can you make something that hasn't happened happen? And I'm like, I've done that before. I've done things that I haven't done before, before. So why not this time around? I know how to learn. I was seeking inspiration. I was doing a lot of looking into other people who were doing stuff and who came from nothing. I felt more inspired to pursue that through fear.

After that, it just started to grow more and more.

Oh, the important part is before any of that, I was preparing myself. I knew that there would come a point where I couldn't tolerate it anymore. So, I started saving money.

Yes, I remember reading that on one of your posts.

I know. The way I'm talking, you would think I was in it for decades, but I learned quickly. After those three years, I learned very fast I had no business being there any longer than I needed to.

It was so many moments where I was like, why are we here again? Then I was like, you need to save money, you need to get ready. I had no idea of anything. I knew to get ready, whatever that [was]. Whether it was an exit plan or buying a house to start my farm, whatever it was, I need to get ready because you're not ready right now. So, get there.

Wow. The level of intuition balanced with the level of understanding the realities of where you were and what was happening takes an incredible amount of discipline.

Yes. [laughs] For you to have been able to save as much as you did, living off it takes another level of discipline. How did you get so disciplined?

I saw discipline as the debbie downer, the one who comes along and just doesn't let you live your life. But I have come to reframe and change that type of thinking because that's not what disciple is. Discipline is our cheerleader. It's the ignition that has us do the thing that we need to do to get to where we need to get to. Without that, we have nothing. I established it once I started developing a closer relationship with the moon. That's where my discipline started because I would show up with the moon during the pandemic. I was completely in solitude, and that was the only person I had. It was me and the moon. So, I would meet the moon every new and full moon I know that relationship!

Yeah, that's an important part to mention. Before I even started feeling inspired and visions about it, I knew that this wasn't sustainable. I was able to identify that, which was probably after my second year. I only did school counseling for three years.

Wow.

I would write to her, and she knew all my goals.

She was the person that I was in relationship with —it was me and her. The action of coming back to and checking up on yourself about something you said you were going to do, that's where the discipline started. What gentler more tender way of developing discipline can there be than that?

And then it went from there because I saw the fruits of that.

The Modern Queer Vol. 31

Aloe

DISCIPLINED MOON "It was me and the moon. I would write to her, and she knew all my goals. She was the person that I was in relationship with—it was me and her. What gentler more tender way of developing discipline can there be than that? And then it went from there because I saw the fruits of that."

"If it were not for queerness, I wouldn't know liberation."

QUEERNESS We would discuss things and progress was always made because I knew somebody was holding me accountable. At that point it just became common practice and became like a formula. I write it down, commit to it, and create an action plan.

I need a minute to process that because my emotions were getting to the best of me. When you mention your relationship with the moon, I understand. That relationship to the moon is real shit in all its phases.

I was going through heartbreak at the time. One of the things I committed to was that's it. I'm healing from it. I was still going through it, but I was like, I'm going to say goodbye to this pain.

And from this moment right now, as I'm writing this…

This is the letting go.

This is the letting go. And a month later, even though that pain was still tender, [there] was progress. There was more progress there than I had spent crying.

Well, hold up. [laughs] As somebody who cries a lot, we need three months of crying. We need to get that out so we can come to that moment where we’re like, okay, I’m done with that. That is no longer serving me. But now, I want to talk about queer identity.

Oh, I have a lot to say about that.

I want to know what that means for you.

I have a grateful relationship when it comes to queerness. If it were not for queerness, I wouldn't know liberation and its existence without queerness. Another question I ask myself often, too, is, as an intersectional being, if I had to choose between my queerness and my ethnic background, my cultural background, which one would you choose? Like I asked myself this question.

CULTURE Yooooo I continuously ask myself that question.

Are you riding for your culture? Or are you riding for your queerness? You want to hear the answer I came down to? And I know I bring a lot of different feelings about it.

This is the highly controversial shit that comes with life and I'm here for it. Which one you riding for?

I'm gonna ride with queerness if I had to choose.

I knew you was gonna say that.

I felt freedom when I started immersing myself more amongst other queer people. Forget living the lifestyle. Just seeing it was liberating.

Knowing that people can represent however, express however, that alone makes me speechless to even think that that possibility is there. Then once I started living it, I was like, oh yeah, I could get used to this quick. That's when I started taking up more space. If I'm living under the confines of heteronormativity, I'm living tiny.

Extremely tiny.

Once I started exploring more, I was like, wow.

Now I understand what the saying anything is possible means. There's so much conversation about liberation in queer spaces. In this dialogue, you're able to spend a lot of time thinking about it. It's able to bring out the attention that it requires to develop that thought. Cause it requires some deep thinking. [laughs] [laughs] But that’s incredible. Wow. When I think of liberation, going back to the vision, I would love, no, I'm going to have an urban farm. And on this urban farm, I'm going to grow on the land. I'm going to have everything that the climate can produce for us. I want families and people to be able to come harvest their own foods.

"If I'm living under the confines of heteronormativity, I'm living tiny."

And at some portion, that could be my shop where I sell all my goodies. I want that to be my complete source of income. I want to be able to reach my freedom number. I think we should all have a freedom number. We need to decide what's a reasonable number we can all live off cause we all don't need to be rich. What are we going to do to generate the income we need so we can live freely without being owned by anybody? That would be my dream. I don't know why things have to be the way they are when they don't have to.

They don't have to. But I feel like because you exist, and you exist with this train of thought, other people exist with similar ideas and beliefs and thoughts. That's how I feel, even if we may not readily encounter them. Because I exist and you exist, that means we exist. That means others can and will exist. So as time progresses, these things will slowly come to fruition. Cause I feel like there's a rising number of people who have that same thought or are striving for that same sort of lifestyle that you envisioned, but it's in their vision. I wanna be like remember in 2022, I was having new conversations, and now it's 2042, and we did that shit.

That’s one of my favorite things to do. Being able to look back and see the progress you’ve made.

That’s my hobby. I love to see growth. Yes, let’s see growth. Let’s spend time doing that.

You say you found liberation through queerness. What exactly does queer liberation mean to you?

Queerness is being your own person, your own individual, having autonomy over your complete self, and expressing your own human design. And I feel so strongly about human design because I feel like that's innately just who we are. To be that without having to worry about criticism, sign me up.

Thank you. In this portion of my life, I settled upon queer because I felt like it allowed me space to do whatever. And I also feel it provides space for other people who are doing whatever to share their whateverness. So, I think it's fascinating.

I'm not sure how many people I have heard say that they utilize the word queer as liberation.

It is the mother of possibility. Like anything can happen. All is fair.

The mother of possibility.

Yes. It’s fair game. The realm of possibilities is infinite. It can almost be intimidating, but it's such a gift.

I'm gonna want to break it down like this and correct me if I'm wrong because this is so beautiful. My guardians have been telling me to redefine language and how we utilize it. It's one of the reasons why I named the magazine The Modern Queer because I think for so long, we've only utilized, or we've only thought about queer in a sexual identity sense. But now I'm taking you using this definition, speaking to the totality of who you are and what you do.

Everything. The whole being. Yes, everything we do has the whole being in mind because we move as one. I can’t separate parts of me, you know?

So, everything we do is in accordance with the system, the whole thing, because that’s the only way we work. I can’t have one without all of them. I got my crew. I got my dreams. I got everything. My queerness, we here. We move as one, in unison.

Wow. That's powerful, and that speaks volumes.

That's liberating for everybody. Because you know, people are afraid to say that they're queer and I'm like, hold on. Y'all must understand that this word does not mean what you think it does.

It means so much more. And the fact that you are a living representation of that speaks volumes.

That's where authenticity is. If anyone is ever looking for it, it’s right there. Right there. Start there. I bet you'll find it.

Start with queerness if you want to know authenticity.

POSSIBILITY "[Queerness] is the mother of possibility. The realm of possibilities is infinite. It can almost be intimidating, but it's such a gift."

FROM NOTHING TO SOMETHING

"It came from having zero knowledge. It came from having zero skills. It came from something that didn't even exist and there is its existence now."

Yeah. Even if you are taking this regarding sexuality, having the mindset, just being open, no activity has to happen. No action has to take place. It’s all in here. You have to have the mindset. And once you have that, you have everything.

I'm about to live my best authentic queer life and do me. [laughs] Queerness is what introduced me to me. Before queerness, I was just operating as a socialized being. But once queerness entered my life we leveled up.

Now we have come your business. I love your business. The flowers, the arrangement of the flowers, the photography, it’s all gorgeous.

And it all came from nothing. If that's not alchemy, if that's turning nothing into something, come on now. It came from having zero knowledge. It came from having zero skills. It came from something that didn't even exist, and there is its existence now.

There it is, its physical manifestation exists.

Remember our trusty old friends discipline and the moon? They be coming through with the assist.

Talk to me about this. How did you grab this idea out of nothing?

It was birthed from inspiration when I got here to Seattle. We [were] still in the pandemic and under lockdown. At that time, all I could do was go on walks. Seattle is a place you would want to take a walk in because it's so beautiful without it even trying to be. Seattle is just so effortless, and where the beauty truly lies is in its effortlessness.

Looking out the window, people would travel hours to get the views we get here, just walking down the street. So, when I'm out, I am not on my phone. I am not looking down. I am activated, [and it’s a] full sensory experience—we touching.

[laughs] Well, it came from having a relationship with the Earth, you know. That's its origins. I want more Earth. I want her to be incorporated into my life in a more intimate way. I didn't need to buy lotions. I could do this myself, and it's all things that I love. How can I have this be part of my plan towards liberation, so I don't have to be owned anymore? I combined these different lessons from my relationship with Earth, pursuing liberation, trying to figure out what I would want to do. What are things I want to be a part of my life? There's just so much magic in identifying what's important.

[laughs] You’re right. I've seen your IG videos.

What have you learned about the Earth?

Being able to learn from the Earth, learn from the life that's growing in the shrubs, that's how we need to be living, not with alarm clocks. You know, we gotta be moving at our pace through the seasons. Wintertime is dark, and I gotta go take a nap. I'm trying to live with the seasons and at my pace. I would feel the inspiration from seeing all the flowers and seeing them bloom. I started taking clippings home, and I ended up collecting so many from my walks I said, why don't you do something with them? I would hate to throw them in the trash, like blasphemy.

So, from there, it just became a domino effect.

Like one thought led to the next led to the next.

Then I started brainstorming the different things I could do with them. It would be so cool to see real flowers in clear soap. And I ain't knew nothing about soap at this point, besides just using it. I started learning more about the different materials and what it would take. And then I bought like a trial size, and then I started to experiment. And then I got to see it in person.

I made the first one, and my mind was blown.

Like I discovered air, you know.

I think that goes back to what you said: I've done stuff before. I've expanded definitions of myself.

Right, right. We've been here before in a different way, but we've done this before. We've turned nothing into something before.

How do you create everything that you do?

Earth is magic—is life. Earth is the origin of everything that we have. It’s the origins of all our powers. I can’t imagine what the most useful skill is rather than being able to grow your own food.

So, to be sustainable in that way, that’s liberation.

So, it’s all tied together—the Earth, liberation— it’s all in harmony.

Do you consider yourself, now, to be more in harmony with yourself and with the planet?

Oh yeah, absolutely. That's what this entire time has been. It's been a time of a deeper homecoming than I have ever had before because I am immersing myself with a flow. I'm trying to synchronize myself with myself. So that's what I've been doing and learning through this time.

Under the identity known aloe honeysuckle, what else are you envisioning yourself to create and manifest?

I've thought about this as well. I would love to do workshops. I would love to do events for queer people to come out. It could be like going on cute queer dates and having people come in and make pottery together. Cause I also plan to explore pottery, and I want to explore other things.

You better stop.

This season has inspired me to ask myself, what else can you do that you didn't think you could?

That's been the question. Like what else? You didn't think you could do this, and you're doing it.

What else you got!? That excitement of being able to tap into that and be lit off let's find out, dig, and excavate. I love that type of energy and inspiration.

And until you do, you’re not gonna be able to move with intuition. You need to build that relationship, and until that happens, you’re just moving. You need to be aligned here first. You need to know what’s yours and what is somebody else’s. What needs to be repelled, and what needs to be protected. Quiet the voices and amplify your own. Don’t just think it. Walk in it. That’s what I would say.

It’s like look at me go. The vibe that I also get.

This is another important point thing too. At some point, I hope to be able to hire people. And when I do get to that point, I want to be able to pass down the skills to them on how to build their businesses. It's not hard, and it's not something the average person can't do. We need to have these skills and information, and resources presented.

We gonna throw that out there into the ether.

How do you now look at yourself and everything you've accomplished? It doesn't feel like you're doing this for anybody or any other reason but yourself.

I feel amazing. [laughs] I feel great, and I can say that wholeheartedly. To say that in full honesty, I feel proud, and I feel great. If I had to redo life, I would choose mine again. I think I have a great time living. I think I know how to do life pretty well. I think I got the secrets of how to do it, to be able to move at your own pace and to be able to move with purpose towards alignment. If it has nothing to do with my alignment, it has nothing to do with me. This is my time we're talking about, and that's an unrenewable resource. I'm not going to get that back. And I could be doing anything with my time. So, it better be meaningful. Valuable.

It better be worth it. When you look at everything that you've accomplished and everything that has happened, what are some words or things that you feel like you could pass down?

I would say above all is to amplify your voice. Like you gotta quiet the outside voices. Until that happens, you’re never gonna know which voice is yours.

Thank you so much. This was going to be a treat and I'm glad that it was beyond what I thought it was going to be. I have been incredibly fed. [laughs] Oh, that's amazing.

I'm so serious. I have a lot to reflect on with a lot of things that you said. How can I continue to expand versions and definitions of myself to give me greater access to liberation and freedom of expression? I thank you for giving me that thought or planting that seed. Now I can go, water it, watch it germinate, grow, and manifest. I'm incredibly appreciative and thankful.

Before we close, I just had a little quote here from the book that I like to quote called Sunflower Soul. And it's a quote that I picked out for today. I love it and I think you should hear it if I may.

The floor is yours.

Okay. To surrender is not to give up. It is to give way to the truth, to the light, to the joy, and to the knowing that is beyond our knowing. Come on now. Come on.

Now I got this swirling in my chest.

The universe is on our side. We just had a surrender. That's what I've been doing just a lot of surrendering to my pace.

And that doesn't make you weak.

Oh no, I feel strong! I feel joyful. I feel light. I feel bright. I feel radiant. The way I feel, I feel like I'm at such a high that I can't accept anything less.

And there it is.

to surrender is not to give up Sunflower Soul

Being a role model "I have reached the point of no return. I can't go back. And what I have, I want this for everyone."

You know what I'm saying? I have reached the point of no return. I can't go back. And what I have, I want this for everyone. I do want to be an example that people can look to as it's possible. You can know nothing and be completely driven by purpose, by intuition, by your interest, by commitment, and you can do it.

Yeah, and by love.

All wrapped in love.

You're modeling it. I don't have a hat on, but I tip my hat off to you.

I need to say I'm so excited that it's coming out in March specifically for two reasons. One, because I feel like March kind of stands as that time when this transition started. March last year, I had no idea that I would be sitting here with you talking about the growth that I've made or being able to reflect from that time to now. I had no story to tell then. There's so much that can happen.

But, also, March is the beginning of Spring, and Spring is renewal. It's life. It's all of it. So, thank you for saying something to me. It was an absolute honor, and I was beyond flattered that you even saw a morsel of something. I didn't think much of myself then. I do now, but not then.

Well, you are incredibly welcomed, and it has been an absolute honor to have this conversation with you and get to know you and to be able to feature you in the modern queer and have you a part of this growing queer family of minds. So, thank you. I am hugging you and sending you love, an abundance of good energy and good vibes. Bye, bye.

Bye. Until next time.

ALOE HONEYSUCKLE

VOL. XXXI | MAR '22

PUBLISHED IN FLINT, MICHIGAN

THE MODERN QUEER