We - the lucky ones - should be more grateful.

Meet Jake, an ex-transgender woman with a difficult past. A strong person, a living testament of the greatness of the individual.

The images above depict signs of affection, care and even love. These three emotions should characterise every household and, especially, every family. Unfortunately, as Jake’s story will show, not all families are doing what they are supposed to do: to provide a spiritual (moral), educational (intellectual), emotional (psychological) and material environment in which children can develop and become who they are as unique individuals, as monads of this universe, as creations of God.

No family is perfect, that is for sure. But there is a big - huge - difference between a dysfunctional, even evil, family (such as it happened in Jake’s case) and a merely imperfect family in which its members strive towards common ideals and cultivate affection, care and love.

Those of us who are born in a family that has been offering us the support to be where we are in life - due to the lessons, sacrifices and guidance of our parents - should be infinitely grateful of such luck, for we have been incredibly lucky.

The video below is about 60 minutes and I highly encourage you to watch it. At times, it is very difficult to watch, but given Jake’s immense courage to discuss his past so open, it is our duty as listeners to…listen, to hear him out. Also, I ask the reader to put aside his / her own opinions on certain topics, such as gender dysphoria, and to see the essential point of the video: the strength of the individual.

Finally, do subscribe to Soft White Underbelly - Mark does an amazing job at bringing to light untold (and often tragic) stories of such amazing people that have been forgotten by us, the lucky ones.