Joe Scarnici/Getty ImagesI know that trans comes up a lot these days but for someone who is trans it is nice to finally be able to share our stories and struggles with the world. Growing up is hard for everyone, but for trans people they must grow up while "dodging bullets" in a narrow and ridged society. The rules are not always obvious and the costs of fighting for your rights, or what should be your rights, are prohibitive.
One of the immense challenges that trans people face is trying to have children. I know there are a lot of cis women out there who have problems adopting children too, and I realize that it is not just a trans thing it is also a human thing.
I have an amazing family, my parents who are still together and still in love, kind of gave me a false sense of what it would take to have the same things that they have. Many people have to work to find love or family where as my family fell into it quite easily.
Raising a child is such an important part of life for most people, and shaping the lives of children is an awesome thing. Influencing the minds and hearts of kids to be accepting and loving can be a great gift. There are so many children out there that need a strong, caring, capable, parent in their life. I hope that I will be able to experience being one of those people.
I remember making a decision early on, to be open about who I was. I wanted to try to help people that didn't understand what they were feeling, especially kids. I am so blessed that I have been able to help others realize that who and what they are makes sense, and is OK. I still haven't decided what direction I want to take, adoption, surrogacy, fostering or making a bigger impact in the lives of children around me. I really liked this episode because it made me think a lot about issues that I had ignored or put off.
For me this show has been a blessing and so thought-provoking. I only hope that it is done the same for viewers of the show, and that they have been touched by our stories. Boy I sure do cry a lot (lol) I seem to have a tear jerking moment in every episode, but my experiences have taught me to always be positive and to realize people do care more and more every day.