The story relates to the printed photo story books , my daughter uses them as gifts round the family at Xmas time or birthdays . She gave me one for Xmas two years ago , I told her I was very grateful as I now live alone but found it increasingly difficult to view pictures of me in male mode . The story moves on to a couple of weeks ago when I invited my mother for a meal at my home , on that occasion to respect her wishes I was in male mode . I'd forgotten to remove a picture my daughter had given me as a Xmas gift of me as Teresa with my granddaughter sitting on my knee . My mother kept glancing over to the sideboard and eventually asked who was the person in the picture , I apologised for not putting away but then she picked it up and asked was it me , I confirmed it was then she said , " Oh my goodness you look like me !" So I smiled and said , " It's not surprising , you are my mum !" She then added in all honesty she would have walked passed me in the street not realising .
I mentioned this conversation to my daughter and thought no more of it until this week , as it was my mother's birthday . My daughter asked if I would be dropping in to see my mother to give her a card and her present because she also wanted to be there , because she had a present of a new photo album . It had pictures of me in it as Teresa when I spent Xmas day with my daughter and her family . However plans had to be altered as my sister and my wife wanted to take my mother out for a special treat but I wasn't invited so I dropped in earlier that morning to see her .
The next day my daughter dropped in to give granny her gifts but also present were my wife and sister , my wife has seen me once before and my sister hasn't seen me at all . According to the phone call after from my daugher , the room went very quite when the book was handed round , my sister didn't say very much but my wife told my daughter she should have asked granny's permission before having the book printed , she then said what will happen when granny's friends look at the book , with that she left with her granddaughter who she had agreed to look after for the rest of the day .
After two years I've moved on enough not for this to bother me but I had to admire my daughter's courage and her belief and acceptance of me , I really hope she doesn't suffer a terrible backlash from this . I agreed with my son in law , the book was a gift to my mother not my wife , they only went ahead with having the book printed after I told them of the incident with the picture on my sideboard .
My daughter and I agreed my wife's big problem is still wanting to be in control , my daughter thinks she will never accept my situation but she must stop interferring in other people's lives over this acceptance issue . I did reflect that my wife tried counselling once and brushed it aside and yet my daughter and I have had counselling to deal partly with her .