Thank you for sharing your experience @shawnamawna.

I'm so sorry to hear home wasn't a safe place. Living repressed, limiting self expression and handling depression is so hard. I would hope future generations will be more accepting and more welcoming. The world needs more love and nurturing. I'm just a few years younger than you and I still struggle with my own identity and not being happy with myself when looking in the mirror. It took a long time for me to discover who I am and what people want me to be. Willing to be something I'm not just so I won't be alone and have a partner. I wish growing up people were more welcoming and encouraged to come out and not be ostracized. I wish I could go back in time and bring out the person I am inside and nurture that spirit. I'm trans and I've been repressed my whole life. I have parents pretend conversations never took place or with old school ideals and frown upon it. I hope starting my thirds will be different. I beat cancer, I'm embracing who I am and I hope I find a partner that accepts me too. ^o^

Our lives is a journey and has many chapters for us to grow and overcome many hurdles. I don't think you're going through a midlife crisis, I'm erasing it from the dictionary! It doesn't exist! ^o^ Our story will be spectacular, it will be wonderful and will one day inspire others. ~~\~<3