I met you 14 years ago; we were in the same class. While puberty had already begun for some, little cliques were forming, and people were gradually building their identities, there was you.
You, who didn’t care about anything, who did whatever you wanted, who told the gym teacher to get lost.
I admired the fact that you seemed to love being different from everyone else—your tomboyish style, your short hair, and the female friends you hung out with back then.
Back then, I was too young to understand. To understand that you were, at that moment, an unhappy person who was in the wrong body.
It wasn’t until I spoke with you again recently that all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. In 2020, now that we’re more open-minded and aware of differences, I finally understood.
You’re now letting the person you’ve always been on the inside be the one we’re seeing more and more on the outside.
Your transition into the man you deserve to be has begun.
I’m already so happy, and there’s even more joy to come. I haven’t seen you in person or heard your voice, but I definitely sensed your happiness when you told me how happy you were that your partner’s son calls you “Dad.”
My heart as a parent was filled with joy. The truth comes from the mouths of children, and the fact that you’re recognized as the male parent must be a feeling of absolute fulfillment—you must feel whole and at peace.
An ode to the man you can fully be, to your present and future happiness, and above all, to the freedom to be happy, without any hesitation.