The Swamp
Your daughter is walking on a narrow, creaky boardwalk through a swamp. She spots a beautiful flower and cautiously steps off the boardwalk to get it. "She has waterproof boots," you think, "she will be fine".
She takes a step towards the flower and begins to sink, a strangely pleasant feeling. Full of frogs and flowers, the swamp looks enchanted. Her friends are around, cheering. "Mom," she yells, "This swamp is the best!" Horrified, you stretch out your hand: “I will pull you out! Hold tight,” you say. But she doesn’t want to get out and by now she is too far for you to grab her.
The smell of the swamp is getting stronger. You spot a venomous viper swimming right by your daughter. “Watch out!” you scream “A viper!” “This?” she sounds surprised “Mom, it’s just a garter snake. It's harmless!” She extends her hand to the creature. “No,” you yell. Spooked, the snakes slithers away. “Why did you do that mom?” your daughter asks, tears in her voice.
She is almost neck deep in the smelly waters and starting to shiver. Splashing in the swamp is no longer fun, the flower is still just as far away, but with every step she gets sucked in deeper.
One by one her friends are disappearing under the water; someone screams, bitten by the viper. You finally find a long pole and extend it to your daughter. “Please,” you beg, “Grab this”. Uncomfortable, wet, and scared, she reluctantly complies and you pull her out.
Smelly water is dripping from her hair, her teeth are chattering, and she is shaking. You hug, hold her hand, and slowly start walking home. She looks back at the swamp flowers with longing, her friends waving to her. The boardwalk is slippery, her foot slips, and you catch her, once…twice…
She doesn’t want to hold your hand anymore: “Mom, I can walk by myself now. I am an adult”. “But it's slippery,” you try to reason. She lets go of your hand and confidently runs forward.
Your heart is beating fast because it is slippery, oh so slippery, on the narrow boardwalk—and you know you will not be able to breathe until the swamp is drained. #draintheTRANSwamp
This is interesting, my son has gone completely no contact from my life & it was indeed, a slippery slope, at times I thought he may be coming back, but alas he is now of his own choice, gone. So, it is sad that even you parents of desistors, don’t truly feel confident that they have said goodbye to this madness, and if that’s the case, then this really does have to be brought down & in no small measures.
Sorry for your pain
I feel like many of these children have been given a script... the same script, in regards to the not affirming parents. My son was also seduced and is also estranged from me. He just turned 18 a week ago, already got hormones (I know bcs I got a notice from the pharmacy), just moved into his college dorm, and my heart breaks because I was unable to be a part of that move-in experience. This, from a kid who always said, “mom, when I get rich I’m going to take care of you like you’ve taken care of me”