If my daughter’s best friend, Alabaster, had two homemade granola bars (his mother was a health food nut) packed in his lunch tote, and another student was struggling emotionally, he’d show his support by giving him or her both granola bars – as well as a smile on his face burning bright like a sliver of a crescent moon. He had a knack for connecting with people and making them feel seen, heard and valued. I can personally attest to the fact that his character never failed to change the day for the better.

Alabaster and my daughter were besties from grammar school through high school and then after the lanky, spirited young man left for college, he completely vanished without a trace. He never responded to any text messages my daughter or any of his other friends sent. Years later, he finally revealed to a mutual friend of my daughter’s that growing up in our primarily well-heeled town, especially if someone didn’t fit the heterosexual norm, was difficult. His family’s wealth was not enough to ease the pressures of being different from everyone else. He had faced discrimination and ridicule from his peers, which left him feeling isolated and alone.

For Alabaster, it was too much to bear, and he eventually disassociated himself from our hometown due to the painful memories that he associated with it. He escaped the expectations of his peers, self-righteous, religious zealots and those others that condemned him and God’s handiwork and found a kinder, less egotistic place where he could start anew without judgment or criticism.

A few weeks ago, my daughter sent me a beautiful write-up about Alabaster in honor of Pride Month. It was published in a business journal. Today, as it turns out, he lives in a progressive state a few thousand miles away where he is a star in the techy world. In the article, he expounds upon how important it is to live authentically and without shame. He not only lives this way, but encourages others to do the same. Explaining what Pride means to him, he adds, “It means being proud of who you are at your core and not letting any single person or group of people stop you from being yourself.”

I’d recognize Alabaster’s handsome face with deep-colored eyes anywhere, and I just cried with emotions, knowing he had found the freedom at last to be who he was born to be.

Over the weekend, I thought a lot about Alabaster as I recalled another interesting occurrence at our home that happened two Wednesdays ago when my dear friend Pat and I were loading the car with a box of donations for Goodwill. We noticed a large roly-poly blob in the neighbor’s yard in our suburban neighborhood. A black bear was on the loose, ambling around, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was in a human-populated area and he “didn’t belong.”

At first, I was shocked and scared enough to call the police, only for them to tell me that I was the third caller of the day and the bear was perfectly harmless. So, I also felt a sense of awe. Here was this wild creature, out of its natural habitat, but still unafraid.

I thought about why this bear had found its way into our neighborhood. He had probably been driven out of his natural habitat by development or by humans encroaching on his territory. And yet, even in the face of these challenges, the bear had not given up. He had found a way to survive and thrive.

I realized this bear, beary-much like Alabaster, who, despite the odds, survived in his own way. Others, as I am all too well aware, are not as fortunate.

We all live in a world filled with imperfections and hardships. Yet, despite the struggles and pain we face, some of us are lucky enough to find solace in faith. It is through faith that we can see hope, beauty and wonder in our flawed world. Unfortunately, not everyone has the capacity of being able to access this power of faith.

I think it’s also important to remember that faith can come in many different forms. It doesn’t have to be religious faith. It can be faith in ourselves, in our loved ones, or in something greater than ourselves. Whatever form it takes, faith can give us the strength to face whatever challenges come our way. It is like a sliver of the crescent moon – small but powerful enough to bring light into the darkness.