The questions can drive you nuts

When I decided to write about my journey as the mom of a transgender teenager, I kept it to myself (and Curt) for a long time. Writing was my therapy, and it brought out the emotions that you’d expect from good therapy. Then came the questions, because good therapy should lead to questions. One of the questions was this: what do I do with this stuff that I’m writing? That’s the questions that turned the “stuff” into a book. As I started to get brave and share my writing adventure with a (very) few close friends, the feedback was this—there are other parents who are walking in my shoes who might benefit from my words. So I wrote a book.

The book was completed in seven months, but it took another two months for me to get the courage to tell Tristan (the child formerly known as Anna) about the book. At one point during that two month gap I asked myself another question: should I try and publish? It would have been so much easier to save the file and keep it to myself. But, easy wasn’t an option. I told Tristan about the book, braced myself for whatever reaction came my way, and offered to share an electronic copy. And the reaction? The short version is that the book has the Tristan Blaine seal of approval. When I offered to share it I was clear about two things, so Tristan knew what to expect: 1) there are parts of the book where Tristan looks like a brat, and 2) there are parts of the book where I look like an asshole.

The Tristan seal of approval was key; without it the book would never have gone to print. But here we are, and in November 2020 my rantings become a reality. If you want to read it early, there’s an option on the website to read an advanced copy. If you choose to read it, send me a message—I’d love to read your thoughts!