Sacrifice

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Sacrifice

How far would you go to protect the ones you love?

My dearest children:

I have a confession to make. Your mother and I have been keeping something from you for the last couple of years. Please believe me when I say that was not by choice.

You remember how it seemed to be. One day I came home in women’s clothes and told you I was transgender, that I was going to transition to live as the woman I felt myself to be.

You both were confused, and upset, but you showed true quality in deciding that you wanted me happy, even if that meant I was no longer the daddy you had known.

Time passed, and you watched me go through each stage of a transition, until I actually went through surgery.

You probably cant know how glad I was to see you with your mother beside my bed when I first woke up after the operation.

But like I said, we were keeping something from you all the way through my transition, and finally a change in circumstances has meant I can come clean.

Maybe I’m being a bit of a coward for telling you this way, rather than face to face, but I’ll be by not long after you receive this, and I hope you forgive me for lying to you both.

See, the truth is, I’m not transgender.

I never wanted to be a woman. Never wanted this transition.

It was forced upon me by a very evil man, and he used my love for you two as the leverage needed to compel me to do this.

He showed me the place you would be taken to if I didn’t comply - a horror where both of you would have been reduced to slavery and used for sex. Yes, both of you. Boy or girl it would have been the same fate.

So I surrendered, and transitioned as he demanded.

I think he intended to humiliate me by forcing me to live as a woman. But I had your mother, and I knew there was nothing less about being a woman. She was my role model for the woman I would make myself into, and I hope I have done her proud.

Then, a few days ago, my tormentor died suddenly, and i was free.

Now, I that I have freedom again, I have decisions to make, which is why I want to explain what really happened so we can take the next steps as a family.

Living as a trans woman has been an ... education, to say the least, but I am not certain of my path forward from here. See, certain ... products that were used to help me become a woman will make it almost impossible for me to transition back physically. At best, I will be able to wear male clothes and go by my male name again, but beyond that I am most likely stuck.

And while there was a time when the idea of being a woman for the rest of my life would have frightened me, I find it ... less awful a prospect than I thought it would. In fact, to be totally honest, I am ambivalent about going back at all.

But I owe you two and your mother a say in that decision.

Think about what you guys want, and I and your mother will be home soon.

And remember that just like you have been there for me through this transition, we will be there for each other, no matter what.

Family first, family forever, just like always.

Love, Dad.

End

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Comments

nice

a beginning a middle and an end a complete story

thanks, Jaci

glad you liked it!

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A complete storie

tmf's picture

Short complete. Can have another chapter but don't need it.
sweet, sad, hopeful, Powerful.

Thanks for it, it might be a little strong first thing in the morning, but I like it.

Peace and Hugs tmf

Peace, Love, Freedom, Happiness

Got a lot in with that story

Hi Dorothy,

I see a lot of your comments on stories, but didn't realize that you are a writer too. Wow! This was very good and tight. One doesn't have to really imagine what the evil man had in store for this person's family, the only missing item was 'why'. The sacrifice that parents make for us kids, can never be fully realized unless one has been there, done that and bought the T-shirt.

I will look to see if you have more stories posted and give them a read.

Thanks for sharing with us.

Sincerely,

Santacruzman

Oh, yeah...

Haylee V's picture

You've written a few... HUNDRED!!! You always sell yourself short. But then again, you never were one to brag -- much. Loved the story, hun.

*Kisses Always*
Haylee V

*Kisses Always*
Haylee V

Nicely done!

It would be nice to see what the kids wish for their Dad as well. Maybe next time. Nice work as it covered a lot of ground in a short period of time!

what would the kids wish?

maybe my muse will let us all find out together!

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A short story written in

A short story written in letter form. Very neat and concise. Well done, Dorothy

What would you do

What would you do if this were to happen to you.

For my children I would say yes, for my wife I would say yes for myself I would say Yes for my Love for you all.

Well Done Dorothy and you have written more than a few stories on here - I stopped counting after Ten as I ran out of toes and fingers to count further.

SamanthaAnn

there are real life parallels

think of the trans people who refuse to transition due to the harm it would cause to their children, for example. thanks for commenting hon!

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sad

It was very sad, but quite realistic. And so many of us do not transition for our children. So it kind of works both ways.

thanks, Cassie

huggles, and thanks for commenting!

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I see your point, but...

RobertaME's picture

Yeah, that big but!

Children are blank slates when you get them. My wife made me promise that I would never hide their mother from them... never make them believe the lie that they ever had a father. Because the truth is that while I may be their biological "father", I was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually their mother. I couldn't have been a father to them if I'd even tried. It's just not in me. If anything, my wife was the closest thing they had to a "dad" growing up. She was the one who coached little league and soccer, while I cleaned the grass stains out of their clothes, hugged them when they lost the game, and made sure that they had cupcakes for their turn to bring snacks for the team. It was a magical time!

My point being that when we lie to our kids and pretend to be "daddy" when what we really are is mom, we deny those experiences not only to ourselves, but to them! We make them grow up thinking that someone who doesn't even exist loved them more than their own mother did, because she gave the job of raising them to a total stranger... and the longer it goes on, the worse it gets. By the time they're adults, it's too late.

If their biological mother won't accept you, then you have to accept that you chose badly, separate, and split custody. It sucks, but at least the courts have to treat us equally now. I know, nobody likes admitting we made a mistake, but better to admit it, transition, and have your kids know their own mother than lie to them until you can't take it anymore and shock them and drive them away later in life... or just die and they find out anyway when they're going through your stuff... and then hate you for lying all your life.

No matter how scary it may be, lying to your kids about who you are isn't the answer. The truth will out... It has evidence on it's side.

Love the story though, Dorothy! It's thought provoking!

I got very lucky

My daughter accepts me, even if she still calls me Dad. And even my ex has come to the conclusion I'm not a bad person

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