What are your positives of 2011??

[drag n fly]

Hey..I found this site in April....Came out to my wife in May(or so)...For the first time in my life (66 YO) can dress in front of her....although I keep it down..It's very confusing, and perhaps scary to her...We had the house majorly remodeled and it really looks good now...My grandkids are all doing well...pretty well, anyway..My wife is hanging in there...
Still smokes, coughs her ass off....Won't quit...sheesh....I'm healthy, need nothing...Happy as a pig in s--t most of the time...Coming up on 18 years sober...
Just made two trays of ziti for the meal at my daughters house this evening...Thank you all smooches Jackie

[Eryn]

A lot of positives for me.

Two wonderful daughters who are doing great at university.
A wonderful wife who is also my best friend.
A job that pays the bills and is relatively stable.

Personally, a far greater understanding of myself and CDing, having "the talk" with my wife almost exactly one year ago, the relief of my wife being accepting and encouraging, making great TG friends here on the forum and elsewhere, learning a lot about clothes and makeup, leaving the house dressed for the first time, leaving the house dressed quite a few more times, having a regular "girls' evening out shopping and dining" with my wife and sometimes with my friends, dinners with my CD group, etc.

All in all, a pretty good year!

[Beverley Sims]

I have had a load of positives for 2011.
I covered this in the mirrored thread, and I can vary that easily.
"I turned all my negatives into positives. and all the positives remained."
Nothing outstanding really, had some cancer, got rid of that.
My heart goes out to others though that are less fortunate, again be positive and life can be better.
Oh! the real positives. I had an inflatable bra demonstrated for me yesterday.
The adventure is covered elsewhere.
Tried on 3 bras and the girls knew I was a man, a very enthusiastic demonstration by them.
The only downer was, your'e not the best looking girl we have seen but you are OK!
OK! and the honest interactions we had over a half hour period was the best thing that happened to me this year.
Definitely a +++positive+++
The fitting episode is a thread somewhere.

[ChristineM]

Finally went out for the first time (and second and third). Plus went to three tri-ess meetings in Austin and the Halloween party.

Now maybe the best of 2012 will be the wife becoming accepting.

[Phoebe]

Spent most of 2010 and early 2011 recovering from leg surgery with therapy sessions. Learning to walk in heels again . Found some ankle boots that have a thicker heel width and they help my balance. Found an inexpensive vehicle so I can drive and get out again. My old vehicle had a serious engine failure, to expensive to repair. Trying to get active again in CLCC activities. Looking forward to 2012 for better experiences than the past year and a half.

[LindaC]

Things couldn't be better. Over a year since my neuro-surgery and I'm still kicking

[Rianna Humble]

Hi Kristy, what a good idea to review the highlights of this past year here are a few of my own:

February, after a photoshoot with a very dear friend, she said to me "you've never been a man"

May, another girlfriend (who is less than half my age) offered to take time off work to be with me at the Gender Clinic if I need her support.

Later that month, a woman I have never met came up to me outside a restaurant to compliment my choice of shoes (which she felt were more suitable than her own) and the rest of my outfit.

June, my 89 year old dad offered to go with me to my first Gender Clinic appointment despite any journey of more than about 30 min being an ordeal for him and this journey being over 3 times that long

Finally my first appointment arrived less than a year after it was requested. At the end, the doctor encouraged me to become active in politics again even before I complete my transition.

August, invited by the Co-operative Women's Network for training on becoming a parliamentary candidate

October, my 2nd GIC appointment goes well despite my fears the previous evening and I'm promised the referral for Hormones "straight away" (for those who don't speak NHS, that means in 7 weeks time)

November whilst having coffee with my former MP who has been a friend for over 15 years she told me "You are a much nicer person to know now that you are settled about who you are"

End of November finally got the prescription for the trial dosage of hormones

Today - end of first month on Hormones

[Rachel Flowers]

Work picked up.
Discovered and got to grips with my transgenderism.
Stopped some unproductive personal activities.
Came out to my wife to total acceptance, support and involvement.

Merry Christmas, ladies! xxxxx

[Michelle.M]

Kristy, I am so glad you started this thread! All too often we don't take time to reflect on life's blessings.

For me, the answers come easily -

- I finally came to grips with my gender identity and decided to stop denying myself and to begin my transition
- Started therapy, which has been very empowering
- Because of all that I decided to leave the military and change careers (to what I do not yet know), and my RLE will begin in a few months
- Started HRT, which is yielding very good results
- Started electrolysis, which, along with HRT has allowed me to be quite comfortable and properly identified as a woman when I go out
- All together, these things have totally changed my outlook, my sense of self and given me the confidence that I have made the right decisions.

I can hardly wait to see what wonderful things next year will bring!