I wore bell-bottoms, hip-huggers, peasant shirts and peace signs, just as many of my companions did in my youth. I was an Army BRAT, and therefore grew up in a constant diverse world. I can remember almost the exact moment that I became aware of the pride I felt in myself for embracing interracial relationships. Not that I was ever opposed to them, but, as with any controversial subject, one finds that they will choose a side and I can remember choosing tolerance, choosing peace.
It was, and remains, a movement - tolerance. My parent's generation moved toward tolerance at a certain pace and then my generation took that momentum and wove it into a race. Our music spoke of freedom and love. Our clothes were psychedelic, like the thoughts inside our minds. We indulged in drugs, not as an escape, but as an expression of expression. We were a generation unitedly determined to change the way things were to something far different. And we did.
And then we, the hippie generation, had children.
Our children have taken our commitment to tolerance and change and run with it, just as we did from our parents - weaving it into an even larger, more diverse and complex creature. They are even more accepting and rejecting of things than we were. They are even more determined to blend lines between people and about ideas that could just as easily be rejected, if there were enough of a population to counter their agendas. But there isn't, as they are our children and we have taught them to make changes for the better and taught them to decide the course of their futures and support them in their freedoms - because this was so much a part of my generation's agenda, after all. And so, in all reality it is the combination of two full generations, and many people, that nurture the ideals and progress of our children. Reluctantly, sometimes, and even, sometimes, teetering between support and resistance.
Our children are entering adulthood now and one of the movements they are embracing and accepting as adults who are molding our society and their own lives, more easily than my generation did, is the plight of transgender individuals. It really does not matter the influence each individual might have from their parents, with regard to this subject; our children seem to have unitedly (for the most part) decided that any negative or fear-filled or religion-based ideas that perpetuate hate or chains or restraints on trans individuals is wrong, and so they accept and support this freedom. Of course, this is not true of all people of my children's generation, but there are large and growing communities. If a thing becomes intolerable, such as animal testing or child labor, and there are enough people to force change, the thing will become changed in a matter of time. This seems to me to be what is happening on the subject and reality of transgender individuals. We, as a society, and parents, are being forced by our more tolerant children to see things differently than we might have, had we not taught them to plunge forward and forge new paths into all of our futures.
Is it the right path? Absolutely. As you can not demand fairness, freedom, respect, understanding and equality for one group of individuals without granting the same for all. Is it easy to erase certain lines? Not always. I have been, and remain, resistant to accept that my girl child is transgender. It would be easier for me - far easier - if it was your child, but when you are thrown into such a situation that you really have no way of preparing yourself for, you find that it is sometimes way easier to say a thing than actually live it. I have found that when it comes to an extremely difficult situation, such as this, that I am at least thankful for the foundation I have built my life on - a foundation where the strongest and most important strengths were beliefs that peace and love could conquer all and God would never abandon me. But ... I know very well that I also carry with me ideals and beliefs I cherish and took as my own from the lessons my parents taught me.
I have a tattoo on my wrist that says, Let it Be. In a section of the lyrics of this beloved Beatles song it says, "
And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted, there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be.
There are a lot of broken hearted people living in our world - among them are many transgender children trying to make their way. I am trying my very best to mend my broken heart in order to help mend and strengthen Chris'. It takes enormous strength for Chris to walk this path. It also takes enormous strength for me to walk this path. And, like with anything you have not lived, unless you are walking this path, you have no idea how difficult it can be. I am lucky that I am of a generation that focused so much on love and peace, as it is who I am and it is what leads me - in addition to support and assistance from my family and friends. I am trying very hard to Let it Be - this thing that battles with me. Chris is lucky my friends and my generation have raised so many amazing children that are holding his hand and helping guide him through all of this when I fail to do so ...
#LetItBe
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