So I've been dreading talking to my brother. He and I are very much polar opposites and I was dreading what he'd do/say/think. His opinion of me, for some reason, has always been very important to me, though I haven ever told him that.
Anyway, it turns out my mom, whom I came out to several months ago, told him everything. My Sister-In-Law called me up and left me a voicemail to wish me a Happy Birthday and used my female name, I was shocked at first.
I called her back and explained to her that I was sorry I didn't talk to them myself, but I was so afraid of my brother's reaction that I couldn't get the courage to call.
After that, I IM'ed my brother and we had a very long and great chat. He just wants me to be happy and he said it'd take getting used to, but he's behind me all the way. I almost immediately broke down crying from the emotional release and it was hard to type on my phone while crying.
He was the last of my immediate family to find out about this.
I've been having problems getting my mom to talk to me about her feelings, and he actually gave me some insight into her emotions. Apparently she is angry/upset with me that I am currently using a name that is completely different than the name I was given at birth.
Don't get me wrong, I love my name, and I actually love the feminine version of my name, but I'm concerned that people who know me as a male are going to be confusing the name for the next 5 years. I wanted to make it simple for people to adjust to the transition by giving them a clean break.
But now, I'm thinking that since it means so much to my mom, maybe I should come up with a compromise on my name. Perhaps a middle name that I don't use at work or something.
I kinda wish my mom would call me and talk to me about what she's feeling. It would sure as hell make things easier.