There have been a couple of developments on the coming out front.
I got an email from sister #1 a while back. Her response to my sibling coming out letter violated some boundaries I specifically and pointedly set for her. I pushed back at her, hard, too hard, I feared. I am not often as assertive as I was with her this time. Anyway, yesterday she replied to my pushback. Not the best, but one I think I can work with.
This morning I put a fist full of letters into the mail to let a number of cruising life friends know what was up. Over the past few years we have drifted apart for various reasons. A major one was my and my wife's efforts to tame the trans-beast. Now, that the creature has been domesticated, I thought they should know. One of the couples lives not too far away. On the way back home from the post office, I stopped at the local grocery to pick up a few thing for the next couple day's meals. On my way across the parking lot I saw that friend walking to her car. I purposefully avoided acknowledging her. I had just sent out the letter and did not particularly care to address the issue in the middle of the local grocery's parking lot. I did not think I had been noticed by her. When I got home, I found my wife sitting on the bed, clutching her "Hugs and Kisses" bear. "What now?", I asked. She asked, "Did you see X while you were out." I had. Well, it seems that X stopped at our house on her way home and ambushed my wife. Grilled my wife about how she was, questions and comments about our sex life, comments about my mental condition and expressed anger at my not acknowledging her in the parking lot. All in all, a really bad scene and totally uncalled for. The upside, my wife handled it well. Not the confrontation itself, so much, (She wishes she had been quicker witted with her side of the situation.) as the aftermath. I found her in a relatively good state when I got home. Not so long ago, I would have found her in the fetal position bawling her eyes out. I made a point of acknowledging how well she was dealing with it. She is now POed beyond belief at X. She is in defensive mode on my behalf.
In an effort to head off potential trouble, we decided I needed to email a copy of the letter I just put in the mail to one of our mutual cruising friends with X. We needed to make sure X did not pass along this news before our letter arrived. When I came into the computer to send off the email, I found a response from sister #3. Sister # 3 was the one I held out he most hope for but the long time without a response was beginning to worry me. Oh ye of little faith! What a reversal of fortune. My sister #3 was most kind , compassionate and thoughtful. Addressed me with "Dear Stephanie, (I like Stevi, too),". She proposed that we find a way to get together. She wants to talk with us face to face. Email is OK but she would rather do it in person. I knew she was good hearted. Our absolute worst response and probably our very best response in a matter of minutes of one another. A roller coaster for sure.
Sister #4 is the only one left. Crossing my fingers.
While taking care of the email to the mutual cruising friend, I got a further response from sister #1. She did much better this time except she appears to be avoiding my name.. We will be able to get along, I think. I sent a brief reply to both sister #3 and sister #1 so they know I got their emails and that I'll do a proper response to both of them a little later.
A little later I sent off a PM to a couple of cruising friends that are in parts unknown on their boat right now. I have received affirmative responses from them.
The saga continues,
Stevi
