Ledley,
Welcome aboard! There is no doubt that the process of coming out is daunting. I am in the final stages of it myself. Yesterday I had a long conversation with one of my five sisters. She is the first to know of my new configuration. She is the most liberal of the bunch and I was sure she would be OK. She was fine. On the other end of the spectrum, I have a sister that is entwined in a very fundamentalist religious environment. She, also, tends to be very blunt with her opinions. I expect trouble there. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.
Coming out is a very mixed bag. Some have a very rough time. Essentially loosing everyone important to them. Worse, some friends and family turn on them. Others seem to have it relatively good and feel a bit guilty about not suffering as they expected and regret not having done it sooner because the losses they feared never materialize.
There are numerous threads here that recount the trials and tribulations of coming to terms with our selves and coming out to the world around us. My own story is under Stevi's Saga. It was begun when I hit a rough patch coming out to my daughter. That situation improved eventually but is still not entirely resolved. I have a ways to go but so far so good.
Again, welcome. We are here to help each other get through this. Don't be afraid to open up to us so we can get to know you better. This is a safe and caring place to be. It can be fun at times. There are some entertainingly wacky personalities around these parts.
Stevi
