My Story Part 9 My First Holiday With The Family

I had just come out to my extended family in October of 2006. We were up at my cousin’s summer cottages in Maine, there was my brother, sister-in-law, my cousin B and his girlfriend, my cousin A and his wife (it was their cottage), their son and his wife, and their daughter and her husband there. I had already come out to my brother and sister-in-law and we had agreed that it was time to tell my cousins. So Saturday night after dinner as we were sitting around the living room I told them that I had something important to tell them and I broke the news that I am transsexual. Cousin’s A wife got up and walked over to me and gave me a great big hug. The following morning, after breakfast, I told their son’s and daughter’s families. There were many questions, but in the end, they were all supportive. It was a great load of my shoulders, I had worried that they wouldn’t understand and accept me.

As we were leaving the next day to head back home, my cousin A’s wife said to me you are coming over to Thanksgiving dinner… as Diana? That Thanksgiving was the first holiday that I ever spent with the family as Diana. I was nervous as hell, but it was so liberating to finally to be myself. This Thanksgiving I am going to celebrating up at the family cottage in New Hampshire and then on Saturday, go up and visit my cousin A’s family in northern New Hampshire.

I am one of the lucky ones, there are many trans, lesbians, gays and bisexuals out there who will be spending the holidays alone, please open your doors to them and invite them in for the holidays.