It’s been 8 years already. Oh my, it wasn't easy at first.
You know as well as I do, it's already not easy to live with the judgment of others in our everyday life. But it's even more difficult when our child is different, in my case transgender. People judge your child and you as a parent. I have received so many comments like:
It certainly made me grow and it made me stronger. My daughter made me stronger.
I realized that what other people think isn't what defines me and what makes me feel good.
My daughter told me when she was 5, "Mom, it's easier to face people than myself."
She was leaving for her first day of school as a girl. She was so happy to be a girl. The strength of a child is incredible.
Think about it for a few seconds, is it negative to be different? How to live with a transgender child? I don't have a perfect answer, but I think it gives me a different outlook on life. A vision that is more open, more inclusive and filled with love. Love for my daughter, for diversity and for a society more open to being different. There are more transgender icons which are inspiring and that helps as does the documentary series I am Jazz. Being open to differences is part of life nowadays.
You can judge me and criticize me; I will support my daughter. No judgment will replace the love I have for her. No act will make me lose who I really am.
I'll be the one who supports her daughter.
A parent free to love, to talk about it, to set everything in motion for the development of my child.
I want all parents to remember this:
“Take the time to really listen to your child. What he feels. Because he doesn't necessarily know the exact words to use, but he does know how he feels. Listen to the words, the gestures, the signs, the state of mind. "
I'm not saying there aren't difficult times, but no one will change the love and support I have for her. Neither you, nor me, nor anyone. At times fragile, I remain strong because I am proud to be Lyam’s mom.
