A Half-full Glass

There are plenty of issues involved in transition that are problematic (for instance, E's insurance covers about half her annual therapy sessions ~ it's sliding fee, but she feels bad paying little or nothing). Sometimes, I get so involved in the bad things that I miss the good. I doubt I'm alone. So, today, I want to share a few happy transition moments ~ the glass half-full as it were.

I was complaining to E about wearing plaids with stripes, a look I've always hated, and she agreed! It seems she has very few solid color tees. Physically, she may be 23, but hormonally she's thirteen ~ agreeing with Mom is a pretty amazing thing. E has always been nicer than average (she was, after all, the sweetest little boy) but I remember myself as an adolescent and I was a bitch to my mother. Sorry, Mom.

At Target, I stopped at Juniors tees and picked some out for E. Having raised three boys and never having occasion to buy things like tutus, it was fun! Yea, pink! Plus, she wears a much smaller size than me so she has much prettier things to pick from. Not only did E appreciate them, but she said she almost bought those very colors recently. The day after I gave my daughter clothes, she was wearing one of the shirts.

I picked her up the other night and as she got into my car I realized that it looked like a girl was getting in. I was surprised to see how feminine she is looking and moving these days. I can still see my son, but my daughter is coming to the surface more and more. I'm so happy for her.

E and I were shopping recently and a clerk approached us, "Are you ladies finding everything okay tonight?" People are noticing her as a girl! I look forward to the day when someone thinks she could pass for a man.

___________________________________________

P.S.  I've been asked if there is a typo in the last line. There is not.

E is a woman, as is becoming apparent to others. If you tell a ciswoman that she's passing for a woman, she'd be insulted. Well, when you tell a transwoman that she is "passing as a woman" you are saying she isn't really a woman. Don't worry ~ it took me a while to get this, too.

So, to clarify, I look forward to the day when someone noticing my daughter's androgyny sees a masculine woman, rather than a feminine man. It's the next step towards the world seeing Emma the way she sees herself.