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On Tuesday and Wednesday I shaved my legs (30 minutes and 2 razors for each leg! ), on Thursday I used depilatory cream on my chest and under arms (I like the ease but it never takes it all away roughly 10 mins including the rinse to make sure the cream is all off afterwards) and today I shaved my arms (30 mins for both). 😮😫 After being hairy again for so long - I cannot remember the last time I de-fuzzed entirely but it is almost like a literal weight has been lifted. I feel so much better!! 💖 I knew I would be at home today too so I put on a simple white top and a pair of loose fitting black wide trousers with white spots and then just some mascara and lip gloss and of course my hair and had a me morning. It was three hours of bliss I did not get any work done but honestly I cannot tell you just how right my reflection felt in the mirror and my mood has definitely lifted. Even having to spend the time taking the mascara off and putting on my dad clothes did not dampen my spirits. In other news I have been trying to look up how to tell your children you are transgender and have not found much that is helpful, lots of info for parents of transgender children, and a rather toxic mumsnet thread where 3 women who had split from their partners because they came out as transgender and then projected all of their fears and bigotry onto what the kids would think (that did make me sad - I have the same worry around getting my kids bullied that they cite but they really downplayed trans as a life choice - they said their partners when from being thoughtful men to self centred shallow women) I also found a blog from a woman who had told her children by asking them if they were okay with it - I already know that mine do not like change, the split has been tough enough for them, adding autism onto that will not make them say yes lol. However they dressed at home for a year in front of their children before they went full time.Though the good advice as talking about how sometimes things are not the same on the inside as they are on the outside is something I could use.. It's been an interesting day so far! x

Rather by accident, I came across a situation which I felt I had to quickly address. I have been out exclusively authentic 100% for several months now and have been expending a considerable effort to educate my sister (age 68) . brother (60), and elderly parents (89) on my transition. I am very comfortable with it and I want them to have the opportunity to be comfortable too. Over the last 45 years we have had very little contact. We talked over the phone occasionally (maybe 25 times over 45 years?) but I now understand that my dysphoria was a significant factor. The rest of them were always doing family stuff together, but I always excluded myself and my own family from participation, not attending weddings, graduations, and other gatherings typical of extended families. I grew apart from the cousins, aunts, and uncles, I grew up with into my late teens. So, fast forward to now? I recently bought a house an hour and a half away from where my parents and sister live in retirement. I came out to everyone right after, about 3 months ago, and have been also sharing in the care of my parents with my sister while simultaneously educating them. My parents were initially fearful of what others would think but through continuous but short, heart to heart conversations, they have finally overcome that. I was blindsided yesterday by my sister... here's how. An Aunt passed away last week and the funeral is only 2 hours from me. I also have cousins that live within 2 hours of me and I had no idea. I offered to attend with my sister and brother-n-law, not thinking at first that no one else in the family knows me as Jessica yet, then backtracked. But...I told my sister it would be a good opportunity when anyone asks how I was doing to answer "she's doing great" , give them my phone number if they want to say hello, and I'll take it from there.. Well, when she got back Tuesday night I asked her how everything went. She was evasive in answering me but I pushed it and it turns out she didn't want to bring it up because "she wasn't sure my parents would be okay with everyone in the family knowing!##%%!!!!???? Furthermore she confessed she has told some of my relatives but "swore them to secrecy". I suddenly realized that while I thought she was an advocate she needed to understand much more. So I explained to her she cannot make those decisions on my behalf! I understood that she does not yet understand, but I will teach her to if she wants to learn. (I told her that the first day I came out.) I made it clear that ….. I WILL NOT BE HIDDEN!!!!! If anyone wishes to hide from me, that's an issue they have to deal with, and that's okay with me! But I will never be hidden!!!! So today, (actually yesterday as I write this) I went to the Villages and had dinner with my parents, my sister and brother-in-law, my brother and sister-in-law, and after a productive group conversation I'm pretty confident.... now..... they are all on the same page as me. We'll see!