I feel this deeply. With both my children. I am living in actual hell and I have no peace, no happiness. But I take a sombre comfort knowing I'm not alone in my feelings and there are others who can articulate my thoughts. 😢
Oh how the heart aches… yes, the waiting is the hardest part… my female offspring has disowned me and I am not happy about it. She hasn’t spoken to me in actual conversation in almost 8 years… Fortunately or unfortunately, I know I am not alone and that makes me sad but weirdly comforted.
Thank you for this wonderful, deeply touching, and compassionate essay…
You put into words what my husband and I are feeling everyday for three years...it's a struggle to let go and be happy in the waiting... also in realizing it might not happen in our lifetime...
I don’t know how much longer I can hang on :(. Why are we even having to live this massive lie? Where is our government? When does the filling pockets for big pharma stop? We can’t be the only ones who see this. Broken hearted and wondering why!
"Is happiness a deep, stable sense of peace and alignment with reality?"
I think "alignment with reality" is the key to this issue and the depression underlying it. Years ago my son (who was depressed and had considered suicide) stated that he was "in opposition to reality". Over time that changed, however, and he flipped seemingly 180 degrees to a respect for it...that included an appreciation of biological reality, ancestry, and even the achievements of humanity. I also know that part of the flip was due to his realization that he and his generation were being intentionally lied to and misled.
For the author, what do you imagine “rock bottom” would look like for a trans-identified child? For me I would think at the moment one is considering medical/surgical intervention, that is rock bottom. But our kids go beyond that and continue to descend. What might that proverbial rock bottom be to cause them to climb out of the darkness?
Unemployment homelessness dysfunctional relationships drug addiction-because they are using poor coping skills vs resilience & avoiding personal development
You put into words exactly what it is to be a parent of a child taken in by the snake oil of gender ideology. We bear witness to our daughter's slow self destruction. Each day she slips further away. All we can do is wait and hope that she returns to herself before more irrepairable physical and psychological damage is done. The anxiety, grief and desperation is too much to bear.
This is my life, every day (and many sleepless nights). It's so awful. And it's terrible how many people besides myself know this feeling because gender has captured their young loved one. It feels like both a relief and a giant rock on my chest to see it described so accurately.
Dear author, thank you for such a powerful writing. Every single word rings true.
I feel this deeply. With both my children. I am living in actual hell and I have no peace, no happiness. But I take a sombre comfort knowing I'm not alone in my feelings and there are others who can articulate my thoughts. 😢
Oh how the heart aches… yes, the waiting is the hardest part… my female offspring has disowned me and I am not happy about it. She hasn’t spoken to me in actual conversation in almost 8 years… Fortunately or unfortunately, I know I am not alone and that makes me sad but weirdly comforted.
Thank you for this wonderful, deeply touching, and compassionate essay…
This is what I’ve been feeling that I can’t describe or put into words. Thank you.
You put into words what my husband and I are feeling everyday for three years...it's a struggle to let go and be happy in the waiting... also in realizing it might not happen in our lifetime...
I don’t know how much longer I can hang on :(. Why are we even having to live this massive lie? Where is our government? When does the filling pockets for big pharma stop? We can’t be the only ones who see this. Broken hearted and wondering why!
so sorry, Barbara...
"Is happiness a deep, stable sense of peace and alignment with reality?"
I think "alignment with reality" is the key to this issue and the depression underlying it. Years ago my son (who was depressed and had considered suicide) stated that he was "in opposition to reality". Over time that changed, however, and he flipped seemingly 180 degrees to a respect for it...that included an appreciation of biological reality, ancestry, and even the achievements of humanity. I also know that part of the flip was due to his realization that he and his generation were being intentionally lied to and misled.
absolutely key! How noble to be led by truth out of the pit
Yes: "Temporary relief can feel like happiness when you’re desperate. But temporary relief fades. Reality doesn’t."
And I've spent over 9 years desperate. Waiting to exhale. A little relief does feel like happiness. for a brief time.
That line stood out for me too. A powerful truth, succinctly stated.
For the author, what do you imagine “rock bottom” would look like for a trans-identified child? For me I would think at the moment one is considering medical/surgical intervention, that is rock bottom. But our kids go beyond that and continue to descend. What might that proverbial rock bottom be to cause them to climb out of the darkness?
Unemployment homelessness dysfunctional relationships drug addiction-because they are using poor coping skills vs resilience & avoiding personal development
The waiting AND being gaslit by family has been hell
You put into words exactly what it is to be a parent of a child taken in by the snake oil of gender ideology. We bear witness to our daughter's slow self destruction. Each day she slips further away. All we can do is wait and hope that she returns to herself before more irrepairable physical and psychological damage is done. The anxiety, grief and desperation is too much to bear.
This is my life, every day (and many sleepless nights). It's so awful. And it's terrible how many people besides myself know this feeling because gender has captured their young loved one. It feels like both a relief and a giant rock on my chest to see it described so accurately.
I AM afflicted and it’s not a good place to be!
"When the phone rings." I just want to talk to my son, not this. 💔
Oh that is the line! My husband calls it 'parent traumatic stress disorder' = PTSD.
This is me! Always praying for my son. How did this happen.
here too, praying
“You can’t reason them out of something they didn’t reason themselves into.” Indeed.