I'm a late-bloomer

[Becoming Diana]

Hi everyone!  I'm happy I found this site.  I'm a late blooming trans woman.  I finally came out to myself last year at the young age of 52.  I don't know why it has taken me so long to figure out who I really am.  I liken my life to the movie The Sixth Sense.  Not because I see dead people (I don't) but because my life has gone through a huge plot twist, like the end of that film, that I didn't see coming.  I remember seeing Sixth Sense at the cinema years ago.  I was oblivious to the signs in that film so the ending confused and shocked me.  But when you watch the film again it's easy  to pick up the hints and signs of where the story was going.

 

Well, my life is a lot like that.  I had my own personal plot twist last year and when I look back on past events of my life I get a sense of "oh, that makes  sense now" and "how did I miss that?"

I've been married sixteen years now to a wonderful woman.  She was shocked when I first came out to her.  But she is very supportive and she calls me Diana.

 

I'm still in the closet with friends and family.  But I came out at work last week and so far all is good there.  I'm an assistant manager of a church run thrift shop.  The church is 100% behind me.  I feel very blessed to be able to be myself at work.

 

Our next step is therapy.  I'm looking for a therapist that both my wife and I can talk to.  Because, while she is supportive, she is resistant to me beginning any kind of transitioning.  I'm hoping therapy can help us come to some sort of agreement to that.

 

I like who I am now.  I'm getting comfortable with my new identity.  I'm looking forward to making friends on this site and hopefully getting advice and insight into how to move forward as Diana.

[KathyLauren]

Hi, Diana.  Welcome!

 

Your story is just about identical to mine except for the age: I figured it out when I was 61.  There are lots of us late bloomers around.

 

That is great that you have the support of your wife!  It makes life so much easier. 

 

Regards,

Kathy

[Heather Shay]

@DianaW another late bloomer here. After years of issues and hints I finally faced me at 68. Love the analogy and I am SO HAPPY for you that your spouse is supportive. That is huge. Mine of 29 years is far from supportive but after 1-1/2years on HRT at least she is accepting and not leaving.

Finding a good therapist with gender identity background is also huge.

Welcome and know you have a lot of support and friends here.

Hugs

Heather

[Charlize]

Welcome Diana.  I was an even later bloomer and started at 63.  The past 9nyears have brought me peace with myself and a life beyond my wildest dreams.  I was blessed this years when my wife and i celebrated 50 years of marriage.  

Glad you found us.  Posting here and reading about others as well as therapy helped a great deal.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[Ivy]

Welcome Diana.

Late bloomer myself, 67 when my egg cracked.

[Timber Wolf]

Hi Diana,

Welcome to Transpulse. I'm glad you're here!

 

Lots of love and a big welcome hug,

Timber Wolf?

[Becoming Diana]

Thank you for the warm welcome, everyone!  It's good to know I'm not alone.  You generally hear about people figuring out they're trans during childhood or their teenage years.  It's good to know that many more of us came out later in life.  

[Delcina B]

Welcome Diana! I love how you put it as, "came out to myself." I spent a lot of years denying & hating my femme, not really understanding why I felt like I did. As you said, in retrospect it's, "okay that explains it." I think you'll find the loving support, advice & acceptance here as wonderful as I have.

 

Hugs!

Delcina

[Becoming Diana]

Thank you @Delcina B. I already love it here!

[Ivy]

11 hours ago, Delcina B said:

I love how you put it as, "came out to myself."

This is a big part of it.

I had internalized transphobia for years - "I'm not like that!"

[Becoming Diana]

On 10/21/2021 at 4:55 AM, KathyLauren said:

Hi, Diana.  Welcome!

 

Your story is just about identical to mine except for the age: I figured it out when I was 61.  There are lots of us late bloomers around.

 

That is great that you have the support of your wife!  It makes life so much easier. 

 

Regards,

Kathy

Thank you, @KathyLauren I feel better knowing I'm not the only one who figured things out so late in life. 

[Becoming Diana]

On 10/21/2021 at 7:45 AM, Charlize said:

Welcome Diana.  I was an even later bloomer and started at 63.  The past 9nyears have brought me peace with myself and a life beyond my wildest dreams.  I was blessed this years when my wife and i celebrated 50 years of marriage.  

Glad you found us.  Posting here and reading about others as well as therapy helped a great deal.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

Thank you, @Charlize You have given me hope that my marriage can survive this long term.  My wife has accepted me as Diana but she's resistant to any movement toward making any physical changes.

[Sol]

Hi Diana! I'm glad you found yourself, and it's good that you like it here! I can't really relate to a lot, but I'm happy that you're becoming the you you want to be.

[Carolyn Marie]

Hello, Diana, and welcome to Trans Pulse.  I also "bloomed" late, at the age of 55, about 12 years ago. It's an interesting journey, so I hope you've fastened your seat belt and restored your tray table to the upright position.

 

HUGS

 

Carolyn Marie