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As we near the end of 2019 I am reflecting on the last few years. In 2014 after 57 years of suppressed shame I finally started sharing my feelings, fantasies, wishes and dreams with a therapist. With his encouragement and support I spent a lot of time on the web trying to learn more. It was then that I even learned of the word "transgender." I loved it; it felt right I never liked the words transvestite or transexual, both of which sent my shoulders up toward my ears. I joined TGGuide later in 2014, so tentatively at first, worried that I would say the wrong thing, upset someone, and experience rejection. Not only did that not happen I was encouraged, supported, and made to feel at home. TGGuide was my touchstone. I logged in several times a day, reading, writing, and participating. One time the website went down and I nearly panicked, not knowing what if anything I could do if it was forever gone. Fast forward to today when I'm as transitioned as I'll ever be which is something I had no idea I would do even in the Spring of 2017 when I found myself driving north from the Bay Area on a mission to find myself and a new place to live. Now, in vibrant, fun, and welcoming Seattle, I have friends who love me and a life that is rich and full. I am truly blessed and wish to express my gratitude as well as my very best wishes to you and yours for a happy holiday and fabulous 2020. Love, Emma

Dear Emma, Joined TGGuide only six months before you, and I became an unofficial greeter at TGGuide a short time after that. Am not transgender, but I reached out to TGGuide because I had such a positive experience with the transgender community when I lived in Tampa Bay, Florida. Emma, thank you for reaching out to me when I was exploring Seattle, Washington, as a possible future home. Thanks to your friendship, support and encouragement, I was able to survive a very homophobic environment, to the point of making T/LGB face to face friends and fighting for T/LGB rights locally (along with many others) to the point of having a Pride in Poughkeepsie, NY and a Pride ballgame in Wappingers Falls, NY. Without you, Emma, and my other TGGuide friends, I would not only have survived, but thrived in upstate New York! May you, Emma, and all my other TGGuide friends have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Love always, Monica P.S. Can't believe it has been five years on TGGuide!