By Grace Anne Stevens

A few weeks ago, I had one of those head colds that just would not seem to go away.  I was congested and had a sore throat that had some ebb and flow to it.   I thought I was getting better and then…  my face turned a shade of red that would have made Santa a bit envious.

After a few days, I made my way to the ER and was admitted with an infection called Cellulitis.  Although I had never heard of this before, I quickly learned that this is a staph infection and required IV antibiotics.

By Grace Anne Stevens

It all seemed to be happening so quickly.  It was only about a year ago, that my oldest son told me that my daughter, Stella, had visited him with her new boyfriend, Rob.

This was a first-time event for the family, that has already worked through not only the split up of their parents in 2001 and my own transition in 2011.  Given that Stella is 38, and we had not experienced this with her before, none of us was quite sure what to make of it.

I got to meet Rob last summer and was pleasantly surprised last Thanksgiving when this kind of old school young fella, started asking everyone in the family – one at a time, and secretly – that he was “thinking about marrying her, and was seeking permission from each of us.”    Do people actually do this anymore?

Grace Anne Stevens
My Transgender Life

As the month of June 2018 is coming to a close, I am reflecting on my gratitude to have spent half this month traveling, between my 10-day boat and bike adventure in Bordeaux France and a 5-day seminar/adventure in Toronto.   As I review some of my pictures, there is one that captures me and takes me on another one of those time traveling trips I often find myself on.  The picture is of a fruit stand in Bordeaux.

As I am drawn into this scene of a fruit stand on the street, that is still making my mouth water, I find myself tripping back over 50-60 years ago to my old neighborhood on Avenue J in Brooklyn, when each block seemed to have an outdoor fruit stand similar to this one.

If you wanted anything, you had to ask the vendor for what you wanted.  This is a long distance from today, where you pick what you want, bag and weigh it, and probably could not find help when you need it in today’s supermarkets.

Of Thee I Dream

My country used to be
The home of Liberty
Of this I sing

Land where our dreams come true
For me and each of you
These days I feel so blue,
It makes me scream!

Editor’s Note: I’m excited to welcome Grace Anne Stevens as a new contributor. Grace’s voice is unique, necessary, and a fabulous addition to LGBTSr. – Mark/Editor 

By Grace Anne Stevens
My Transgender Life:  Perhaps Parallel Lines Do Meet

Life is full of change and transitions.  This is just one of those universal constants, that even if we forget to apply it to understand our life’s journeys, still takes effect.    It applies to each of us, and there is nothing at all we can do about it.

As a transgender woman, there has been that moment of transition, or perhaps I should use a capital T…. and call it… Transition, that to most people like me, makes that moment, let’s say, momentous.

The entire concept of changing or transitioning genders comes with a pretty large suitcase of emotions for those doing it and is so often shared with everyone in connection with them.  For many, that suitcase may never empty out, and is carried with them year after year.