Tag Archives: transgender family

məˈCHo͝orədē = Maturity

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Maturity = The state, fact, or period of being mature

Mature = Fully developed, full-grown

(Latin) Maturus = Timely, Ripe

 

In psychology, maturity is the ability to respond to the environment in an appropriate manner. Maturity also encompasses being aware of the correct time and location to behave and knowing when to act, according to the circumstances and the culture of the society one lives in.

Wechsler, David “Intellectual Development and Psychological Maturity”

Child Development, Vol. 21, No. 1, March 1, 1950 Continue reading →

Source Beliefs

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Most of us have heard that a child’s formative years play a key role in their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth and their ability to achieve their full developmental potential. The World Health Organization (WHO) affirms that nurturing care is at the heart of children’s potential to develop, while the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) states that during the years of early childhood (0-8 years old) “a child’s newly developing brain is highly plastic and responsive to change as billions of integrated neural circuits are established through the interaction of genetics, environment, and experience. Optimal brain development requires a stimulating environment, adequate nutrients, and social interaction with attentive caregivers.” Continue reading →

epiphany

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20181003_145631_HDRJamaica is an amazing tropical paradise. The high temperatures on the northern beaches are consistent year round at about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It is the third largest Caribbean island at just over 4200 square miles: 146 miles long by 51 miles wide. For comparison, Connecticut is the third smallest state in the U.S. at 4845 square miles, but is larger than the island nation of Jamaica. Jamaica has gorgeous white sand beaches on its northern shores, is totally surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, and also has seven mountain ranges including Blue Mountain Peak at 7402’ from which we get the world’s best and best-known single origin coffee in the world. Montego Bay, Jamaica, is a little over 500 miles from Miami, Florida – just a quick 40-minute flight away. The island also has lush rainforests, over 120 rivers with breathtaking waterfalls, and some of its native produce includes avocados, bananas, spices, and limes. Continue reading →

Recovery room

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Twice I have had surgery, both times for Caesarean-sections. Each time I was taken to the recovery room following the procedure. After receiving anesthesia, one must be monitored closely until the anesthesia is safely out of the system and all the feeling returned to one’s extremities. Both times I was awake, having only been administered anesthesia from the midsection down. I remember feeling cared for like at no other time in my life. There was one other person there, a nurse, whose sole job was taking care of me. When I said that I was cold, I was offered warming blankets until I was comfortable. As I was so often cold in those days, my circulation to my feet less than stellar, this experience of feeling completely warm was especially sweet. Nothing was expected of me except to rest and regain my feeling. Continue reading →

Reminiscing

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There has been little lightheartedness in my life this past year. Even the moments I’ve felt hopeful have often gotten derailed by unsettled thoughts and questions. I’ve been missing the closer relationship with my twins from when they were younger, before any of us lost our innocence. In the midst of processing the recent changes and trying to figure out how to feel, think, and act, I decided it would be fun to take a respite from contemplation and spend a little time reminiscing. Even though we have not been perfect parents, we have enjoyed life with our children, and it’s good to remember that not everything has been a challenge. Continue reading →

it’s complicated

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You know those relationship status updates on Facebook? So and so is engaged. So and so is in a relationship. Then there’s the one that says, it’s complicated.

it's complicated

That’s the way I feel about the issue of gender dysphoria in my twins and the life of our family. On the one hand, it makes no sense to me. It makes me sad and confused and angry by turn, because of the loss I feel: the loss of my daughters and the loss of the vision for my life’s story. Continue reading →

Asking Permission

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The impetus for me to write this blog came sometime last December 2017 after our second twin shared their transgender identification with us. Prior to that, I had felt like I could come to grips with the choices of the first twin and let go of my desire for control and instead hope for healing of relationship and renewed commitment to my faith traditions.

After we dropped both twins off at their respective universities to begin their freshman years, my goal had been to focus on developing a new relationship of peace and health with the first (and only, at the time) one to identify as transgender.

bright spot Continue reading →

The Greatest Commandment

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the greatest commandmentOne of my favorite stories in the gospels is the one where a Jewish teacher of the law comes to Jesus and asks him a question. “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

This story is told in three of the four gospels in the New Testament: Matthew, Luke, and Mark. I like the way Mark tells it the best, in part because his intended audience was the common person who was not part of the Jewish faith. Continue reading →

Social Contagion, Part 2

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“Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria” is described as occurring mostly in girls in their teens and early 20s who come out as transgender “out of the blue” without any childhood history of experiencing discomfort with their natal sex. Dr. Michael Bailey, Ph.D., psychologist and professor at Northwestern University, says, “We think this is an entirely distinct phenomenon from childhood-onset gender dysphoria. Indeed, we think it didn’t exist until recently. It is a socially contagious phenomenon, reminiscent of the multiple personality disorder epidemic of the 1990s.” Continue reading →