When Your Child Transitions It Impacts the Whole Family
When my son Leo first came out as transgender, I thought his transition was just about him. I would soon learn that a child’s transition impacts the entire family in one way or another.
Author: justplainbeth
Your Emotions Aren’t Wrong, But Your Reaction Might Be
My son told us he was transgender through a Facebook life event announcement that I read in the early morning hours of January 2, 2016. At the time, I didn’t understand why my he didn’t come to us with this news. He and I have a pretty strong relationship, and this seemed like one of… Continue reading Your Emotions Aren’t Wrong, But Your Reaction Might Be
What is the Difference Between Gender Identity and Gender Expression?
I found out my son was transgender on an otherwise ordinary Saturday morning. There I was going about my business, doing all the same things I do every morning when the life announcement post with the little flag caught my eye as I was about to close Facebook. I read the post, re-read it, then… Continue reading What is the Difference Between Gender Identity and Gender Expression?
New Year. New Start. Now What?
Three years ago at the start of a new year, on January 2, 2016, my youngest son came out as transgender. At the time, I was too preoccupied with my own reaction to his announcement to pay much attention to the significance of the date. As a lover of fresh starts and new beginnings and… Continue reading New Year. New Start. Now What?
Inviting People To Share in Your Grief
National Daughter’s Day was this week. While I don’t usually pay any attention to #hashtagholidays, this one caught me off guard. Suddenly, social media blew up with photos of the daughters of the people I follow. Captions highlighted why these daughters were so amazing or why their mamas loved them, or something funny or clever… Continue reading Inviting People To Share in Your Grief
Inanimate Objects Are Broken, Not People
Just this week I was checking out a resource that a well-meaning person passed on to me. It’s a non-profit whose mission is to provide support for parents of, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Perfect, right? How thoughtful for this person to think of me when they met one of the people who founded… Continue reading Inanimate Objects Are Broken, Not People
Attending a Pride Event as An Ally
Pride Month takes place in June and is an annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. A few weeks ago, I attended my first Pride event. My husband and I took our youngest son and his girlfriend to Fenway Park, where they were holding a special Pride Night to celebrate Pride Week in Boston. I wasn’t sure what to… Continue reading Attending a Pride Event as An Ally
Supporting Your Friend When Their Child Is In Crisis
During the past year, several close friends have reached out to me for support in regards to their teen and pre-teen children. After tender conversations, it was revealed that these young adults are struggling with depression or are in other areas of crisis. Because I have walked those roads and remember what the early days… Continue reading Supporting Your Friend When Their Child Is In Crisis
A Christmas Book Countdown : A Favorite Holiday Tradition
One of our family’s favorite holiday traditions is reading a holiday book each night during the month of December. I read about this idea when my children were little and I was trying to sort out some meaningful holiday traditions we could begin. As a lover of children’s books, the idea of a Christmas book… Continue reading A Christmas Book Countdown : A Favorite Holiday Tradition
Have an Organized Christmas with a Christmas Planner
I used to reach the week of Thanksgiving feeling a dread in the pit of my stomach. I was excited to spend time with my family, sure. But I knew once the day was over, it was just a few short weeks until Christmas, and the stress of organizing all the things that needed to… Continue reading Have an Organized Christmas with a Christmas Planner