Have you ever thought, what if ??

[DianneW]

Being that its "Fathers Day" got me thinking "what if? " For us who have grown children, what if when we were younger, before we met our SO, we enjoyed our CD lifestyle so much that we never got married. We never had the son who would become a Doctor or Policeman or professional Soldier. the daughter who would write childrens books or give birth to a future president or, .... you know what I mean. How much would the world have changed if we followed our lifestyle instead of our destiny. I have 4 children & maybe they won't change the world but I'm glad I followed my destiny and am very Proud of all of them

[Kate Simmons]

I wouldn't change a thing Dianne. As you say, I never would have known my children otherwise.

[linnea]

Of course, things would have been different. I suppose that this is why people are fascinated with stories like The Time Machine and Back to the Future, but I don't think about it much. I am very happy and grateful to have helped to rear three wonderful children who are now wonderful adults with their own families.
I am going in a direction that I might have followed earlier if things had been different, but they weren't different. And I have had a wonderful life; I am continuing to have a wonderful life. Now, however, I'm willing and able to express myself in ways that seemed impossible before.
I think that I have had the best of many worlds and I expect that to continue.

[alice clair]

Right ON Diane
I with you on this one

Michelle

[carolinoakland]

I"m convinced that my child, and her destiny was the reason I was born male, and she IS the most unique person in the universe I know...

[SummerJ]

Heh, I'm a little young for this thread, but one of the things I look forward to most in my life is getting married and having children. I feel like that adventure would be greater than any alternatives.

[Karen564]

[SIZE=2]I have many mixed emotions about it, if it wasn't for my wife pushing me for wanting children, not so sure I would of had any, since I was extremely leery about it before, because I was always very aware of my severe gender dysphoria, but never knew for sure that transitioning was in my future at that time, but after they were born, I never regretted having my two girls & just can't imagine my life without them...I just love them so much & they make me so proud to say their mine because they are both amazing individuals..[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]I wish you all you fathers out there a Happy Fathers day..[/SIZE]

[Nicola2876]

It's something I think about alot because I would've wanted to transition years ago given the chance again but then I wouldn't have my daughter and I obviously wouldn't change that for the world. Any chance I could have my cake and eat it?

[emilygielen]

I am also to young to answer your question, but it is not because I'm crossdressing that I will not find the girl of my life!! Having kids is something I'm looking forward, but I prefer to have kids and build my life with someone that understand me and accept me as I am instead of finding my inner self later or too late!

I will maybe not have the same kids that I would have if I was not crossdresser, but it is the life!! Who knows??

[Victoria Anne]

concidering I have 5 children 2 boys 3 girls .... nope , no way would I change a thing

[Cheryl T]

Had I had the support network that I do now and the confidence in publicly presenting myself I firmly believe that at this point in time I would have been post-op for many years.

[~Michelle~]

It's like asking someone who won 20 million dollars with a lottery ticket (read "great marriage and lovely kids"), whether it was wise to buy 50 lottery tickets every week. We all know what the most likely answer will be.

A better question might have been; if you would have felt about yourself the way you feel now years before you got into any relationship or having kids, would you have done things differently? My answer is: yes.

[Barbara Jo]

There are aways a crap load of "what ifs" in life.

As the saying goes.....
"If? If the queen had balls, she would be the king".

[sissystephanie]

I never enjoyed being a CD so much that I wanted to become a woman! I like wearing feminine clothes, but I am very glad that I am a man. And I am even more glad that I have two wonderful children!! Only wish my wife were still alive!!

[NathalieX66]

I'm dating a wonderful woman, and eventually I want kids so bad....yet there's still the princess in me. If I won even 300 million, I'd still want a wife & kids...AND still be a princess. I want to transition as far as complete face-to-toe hair removal, the buck stops there. As long as I can look like a real woman, and still be Daddy-O, that's fine with me. Call me narcissisistic or whatever, but lately I feel more aligned with the native American term of two-spirit.

[Katrina]

[SIZE=2]I have many mixed emotions about it, if it wasn't for my wife pushing me for wanting children, not so sure I would of had any, since I was extremely leery about it before, because I was always very aware of my severe gender dysphoria, but never knew for sure that transitioning was in my future at that time, but after they were born, I never regretted having my two girls & just can't imagine my life without them...I just love them so much & they make me so proud to say their mine because they are both amazing individuals..[/SIZE]

I'm with ya. I wouldn't have my son if I knew then what I know now (ie, I would have transitioned a long time ago). That said, I think I'd be missing out on a wonderful part of my life. He is amazing.

[Nikki A.]

What if's are always tough. That said I love my kids, andI'm glad that I was able to be there for them. The way I look at it though, in a few more years they will be on there own, my responsibilities will be less and I can then figure out where life will lead me.

[RozalynLove]

I think I'm a little too young for this thread too, but despite never wanting to completely transition to being a full women, I think if I ever do have children I will be comfortable enough with them and their mother to wear the typically feminine attire I love, while being the best father possible. I want to raise caring, open mined children who do not feel locked into silly gender roles.

[Madilyn A.]

[SIZE="3"]I have 3 wonderful children, and 3 fantastic grandchildren. My 3 kids are all all hard workers, all have their Masters and are contributing members of society. If by some hypothetical miracle, I could go back and change my past and all that I created would be lost, then no way would I change a thing. I will say this, however; if the level of knowledge and support was available when I was in my teens or twenties, as it is today primarily due to the internet. I am nearly 100% sure I would have transitioned.[/SIZE]

[SuzanneBender]

Everyone lives with the what if's of life. What if I had caught that home run that cost us the state championship, what if I had ask Mary Ann out when I had the chance, what if I had known what I know now about transistion, what if I had actually won that Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes?

I think about these things a lot, but ultimately it leads back to one answer. I wouldn't have the gifts in my life in the form of my wonderful wife and beautiful children and that erases any meaning from all the what ifs. Well maybe it doesn't erase the sweepstakes what if but you all know what I mean.

[Jorja]

I had my kids by the time I decided to transition. I love both of them dearly. Through the divorce and the courts I lost them for what I thought would be forever. When they got old enough to be out and about running around on thier own 14 and 16, guess who's door they came knocking on? They told me they didn't care that I was a woman now, I would always be Dad to them. Now that they are 24 and 26 I can't get rid of them. I do enjoy having them around and love them even more than I can say.

Damn, now I am crying again!

[kimdl93]

I've been down the divorce path too, and thankfully I have maintained or even strengthened my relationship with the kids. But really, I don't believe that an LTR and CDing are mutually exclusive. My first wife knew about my CDing...even particiapted to some extent...before and after our kids came along. If it came to chosing between the two, obviously I'd pick my kids, but really, its not necessarily either / or.