Have not been here in a while, but received a brief message from a long time member asking after me, so I thought I would post.
While I was never a super active member, I am a longtime member, and this site stood out for being normal and accordingly brought a sense of normalcy to the deep internal conflict that was ever present in my own life at the time.
Some of you may remember that I am a public school teacher. I did transition "in place" at my school and felt comfortable to do so there with support from many friends and colleagues. Yes, there were losses along the way. They hurt to my core and even now still foster sadness. But living, and I stress living because I did choose to live, through that pain as me was far better than the alternative. Eventually the happiness as me surpassed the loneliness and isolation we have all felt.
So yeah, just an update and a check-in. There is life and happiness to be your authentic self. It is not perfect, but dealing with those imperfections is so much easier without the distractions and isolation of not living your authentic self to begin with.
with humble appreciation
Christine
