In my journey to transition there is only one date that holds major significance for me, the day I stepped out the door to go to work for the first time as Grace. That was now two years ago and what a two years it has been. A great two years.
Having supportive friends and colleagues certainly helped, and having a supportive accepting mother was beyond great. My struggling father is still struggling but at least has come around to a form of tolerance that works for us both.
It sure was a learning curve, but I'm a fairly quick study. Made a few blunders along the way and had to learn things I never expected were part of the package. Had a few disappointments but they were few and I had great support, including from this site and the wonderful people here, to help me through. More than anything though I feel happy and accomplished finally being able to live my life as a woman. Hard to say if I am a better person because of it but people generally respond to me positively which has to count for something, right?
There are things which I know I can never experience - but there's not all that much I can do about that and I know there are genetic women who likewise can't or have chosen not to have children and it doesn't make them any less a woman. So I count my blessings for the things that I do have which is my identity being validated, my friendship with women as one of them, a degree of passability despite my height, the opportunity to no longer have to pretend I'm a dude.
It's been a great two years. If I had been told what was possible this time three years ago when I finally decided I couldn't deny I was transgender any longer I would have scarcely believed it. I'm so glad I didn't listen to that voice in my head screaming at me it would never work, that I'd lose everything and everyone, that I would be a pathetic joke... joke's on you doubting voice in my head.
Here's to another two years, not to be greedy but hopefully they'll be even better than the last two.
