Hey Everyone, If you have been following me, you  know that things have been rough lately. But my family has it’s brighter moments.  🙂  Dad is such a trooper, putting up with all of my teenage melodrama!  And despite not living on the farm anymore, ( I’m in this apartment in town with Bob… about 30 minutes away.)   I get together with Dad whenever he is back home, which lately is almost one week a month.
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Damn, my mind is wandering off again, hold on, let me catch it….. Okay back to why today is a good day, 🙂  When dad got here and walked in with some groceries, he put the first bags on the kitchen table and then turned to me and gave me a great big hug!!  No hesitation, no uncomfortable words, just a big smile on his face and arms stretched out wide…  You have no idea how long I’ve been hoping and waiting for this!  Even Bob was excited, running in circles around us, tail wagging, a smile on his face, and huffing like he does when he is happy.  He even let out a joyous bark or two….
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I guess Dad has been talking with my older sister J, we have a weekly tradition of a long call on Sunday afternoons.  During our last call I mentioned to her that it seems to be ages since I got a really good hug from Dad (except as S).  You know the one, where you hold onto each other tight and long enough for me to almost get my head onto Dad’s shoulder.  🙂    But he is way too tall for this to be easy, maybe on stairs….?
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What made this day so special is that when he got here I was dressed as “Iris”, the woman I so desperately want to be,  he did not blink an eye and gave me a hug anyways!  Even while I was wearing a dress with “curves” up top.  (( And I know he finds it really uncomfortable to touch me when I am feeling, dressing and living as Iris. ))  We had those hard conversations many years ago, and he has finally come to accept that his son, “S” is transgender and prefers to be know as Iris, who is a woman.
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I feel so lucky!…. Those innumerable  meetings with me and our family therapist finally answered all of his questions…. and he had a lot!  I imagine that finding and joining that group of parents of LGBTQIAP+ people has resolved a lot of his concerns.  I think he has a few members on speed dial.  All of those families have gone through the same awkward phase of “coming to terms” with their evolving family members.
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So I have a great big grin on my face while I type this..  I just wanted to share a great day with y’all.
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I am sending all of you a hug, a heart filled with joy, a smile, peace & prayers – Iris