Today I talk to Jen. Jen is highly educated and lived a well-respected and successful career as a police sergeant for the greater part of her life. Jen also was married for many years and has adult children.

Jen also lived her life as a male called Jeff for her first 60 years or so.

Jeff went to college, got married, had kids, built a career, but something never felt quite normal. The truth is you can’t know what you just don’t know. But then google appeared and answers to many unanswered questions were able to be explored. This is when Jeff knew he was really Jen.

But it wasn’t that easy. He had a mortgage, kids to look after, a dog to feed and a wife he loved deeply. He had commitments – and coming out as Jen just was not possible for him at that time.

When his children had all grown up, sadly he lost his wife, and it was then that the call toward authenticity could no longer be denied and he knew that eventually, decisions would have to be made.

The call towards authenticity is sacred, it's holy, It's for the greater good.

Whilst transgender and the entire LGBT movement has moved positively forward in leaps and bounds. It still has a long way to go. The conservative way in which mainstream culture labels and defines everything in order to make things feel understood and comfortable is where much of the problems stem from.

In a world where many things are still rejected because we simply don’t understand them, we must rise strong and be willing to try and do what we can in order to honour the journey of another.

Jen was extremely positive, humorous, and light-hearted and said for the most part most people were amazing and accepting.

Jen shares her journey to becoming a transgender woman, and whilst she can’t speak for other transgender women, I found a lot of strength, humour, warmth, acceptance and quite frankly inspiration from Jen’s journey.

I learned so much from Jen and it opened my mind even further. After all, what do any of us really know about the shoes in which we have never walked? Holding respect and having a curiosity for another’s journey, which is different to our own, will expand our own minds, open our hearts, and grow our empathy.

I really enjoyed chatting with Jen. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode.

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All meditations, soundscapes and sleep stories are written and produced by Claire Charters from www.botanicaltrader.com and www.theomcollective.org