"Tom had carved out a successful career helping companies transform. He loved big change. He also loved being a husband and father. His wife, Mary, called him her knight in shining armor.
But Tom struggled with a secret: was he a man or a woman? He had agonized over this question for most of his life: 'God, help me, let it be anything but this.'"
In 2016, I interviewed Tina and this is what she told me about the book and her transition: "Yes. When I started, I wasn’t thinking about writing a book.
My children are the most precious thing in the world to me. I loved being their father. They loved and admired me. I hated the thought of taking that person away from them.
I lay awake nights wondering: how can I explain my actions to my children?
Finally, I got up one night and just started to write. I wrote about all of my secrets: who I was and what I had struggled with. I wanted them to know how deeply I loved them.
People tell me that my book is really honest. I think that it is because I was writing it for my children."
"We are all so unique. One of the neatest parts about being a transwoman is that, when we get together in a room, it is like meeting the entire world at once. There are so many cultures, countries, lifestyles, and careers represented.
But, if I had to pick something I might have to offer, it would be my general success at reconnecting with my family and at connecting with people outside our community. I am proud of my identity as a transwoman.
But I want to be connected to the whole world, not just to our community.
I try hard to understand the perspectives of people who are not transgender. I have learned that, if I want them to celebrate my life, I need to celebrate who they are, too. I think that we sometimes grow so defensive that we lose our sense of empathy with others."
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