I want to start by thanking Susan for starting this, and every wonderful person I have seen giving words of encouragement to one another. I have been reading many forum topics for the past couple weeks (has pretty much become a hobby, as I love to learn new things anyways), not only for myself, but also I share what I read with my remarkable wife.
Me:
I am 35 years old, have 4 amazing children (2 boys 2 girls), and have been with my wife (not legally married, that's another story) since I was 17. Throughout my life, I can recall this feeling that I wasn't 100% boy. Yeah I had a boy body, name, looks, etc; but there was something about me that didn't feel right. As I grew older (especially puberty) I felt like my body wasn't developing properly. I was seeing a psychologist regularly (a long story for another time), but I never brought this up the many times I saw him; mostly out of fear of being labeled with more than the ADHD I had. Around that time, there was a MTF at the company my mom worked for, and I remember how she got disgusted and appalled that she was requesting use of the women's restrooms, as she was transitioning, and dressed/acted her intended sex. I was locked in fear at my own thoughts and feelings about myself, and hearing this made me close that door to anyone (luckily my mom has done almost a full 180 on her feelings towards MTF and FTM persons). Fastforward just over 2 decades, and here I am. My wife has known about certain aspects of this side, but it wasn't until the past few months, I knew more about what was in my head, and finally able to share more with her. She is the love of my life, and my soulmate. She is my anchor when I need to stay, and the winds when I need to sail. I have been crossdressing almost everyday when it is just her and I, and the more I do, the more at peace I feel within myself. She has taken me shopping, and she even helped me find someone we believe to be the best professional for both of us to talk to.
I will end it here (for now), and just want to let everyone that reads this know, there is more than random people here; this is a family. This website is like a ship, and we all have a destination to get to. Please don't be discouraged, and please don't be afraid to ask for help or input from others. I look forward to my journey, and I won't be a stranger (to myself) much longer.