I am a woman. I just happen to be Transgender. I have done enough soul searching to understand this now.

I am also fortunate enough to be living somewhere with world class medical care for both mental and physical care. Over the years I have always paid attention to the way we interacted with one another which made me more aware of my wife’s struggles and potentially what our two daughters may experience and the way society and women shame other women. Which contributed to my views on body modifications.

Now I have never been an advocate of any plastic surgery in general. Sometimes I have asked, where does it stop? This is especially so since my transition because I know this does NOT make us MORE of a woman nor does it DEFINE who we are as women. But learning for myself it’s every woman’s right to feel however she does about her body, and to make changes accordingly.

It’s been harder separating the difference between what is Gender Dysphoria as part of being transgender and what is it me being a woman and uncomfortable with the way my clothes fit etc. It was important to me to understand the difference before taking any further steps.

So here I taking this next step for myself as a woman. In the end I have learned that cosmetic surgeries only become destructive to our identity and well-being when they are founded on emptiness and honored as fullness. I hope my children will learn from observing my actions and focus on the non-physical and learn from the positive ways I have approached body image.

I have come far as a woman, but I still do have a very long way to go and Dean Arcuri from the Informer wanted to capture this moment and help me share it.

*** We know that sometimes it can be hard to know who to talk to if you are experiencing a mental health crisis. If you do not have family and friends living nearby or a strong local support network it can be hard to get through difficult times on your own. Whether you are in a crisis or you just feel down and need to talk to someone, it is important to know that help is available at all hours of the day and night.

There are many free mental health hotlines and mental health online support services across Victoria, which provide crisis support, information, resources, counselling and therapy to people of all ages.

Where to get help:

The post The one where Mama Mish gets interviewed – Part 1 appeared first on Trans P.O.V. (Transgender Point of View).