‘Tis the season! As the holidays draw near, I extend my warmest wishes to you for a joyous celebration filled with love, good food, and cherished moments with your dearest ones. Yet, I acknowledge that for many, the holiday season can be more complicated than that.
Some familial connections are relaxed and celebratory, while others carry more stress. And for anyone in the LGBTQIA+ community… well, showing up to extended family events or seeing friends that you haven’t seen for years can carry a whole lot of weight. (Here’s a bit of good advice for this!)
This season is particularly significant for me, as this is the first holiday where my transgender daughter will be out to the whole family. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, the whole deal. Needless to say, there’s a lot going on in my mind and heart these days. I’m bursting with pride for my wonderful kids (both cis and trans), I’m super excited that my daughter gets to show up as her full self, and I’m looking forward to a season that will be full of old traditions and new horizons.
I’m also in full advocacy mode. For both of my kids, absolutely, but I also care deeply about my extended family, and I recognize that they might need a bit of time to adjust, to learn, and to relax into loving my trans daughter the same way they’ve always loved her (however they viewed her gender). I find myself as a bridge between my kids and the world, and I care deeply about this job.
In the spirit of this, I’m thrilled to announce that I’m opening a new branch of my coaching business: helping parents, friends, and family of transgender folk find their way towards being staunch allies to their trans loved ones. No matter what a person’s original reaction is to finding out their child or loved one is transgender or non-binary, there is always a way through the tangled emotions, the past conditioning, and the worry that might come up for them. Emotions can be extremely confusing, but it is my belief that the vast majority of people have love at the source of their feelings. That they want the best for their children. That they know that alienation has the opposite effect that they desire, and that fundamentally, they want a close, loving, and authentic relationship with their kids and loved ones.
If you or someone you know is navigating a similar path, I’m here to provide guidance. I warmly invite you to check out my new website: coachbekooy.com. My coaching aims to offer a safe space for vulnerability, enabling parents to stand strong and brave for their transgender kids. Strengthening relationships, fostering understanding, and celebrating authenticity are at the heart of my coaching mission.
As the holiday season approaches, I invite you to consider the transformative power of support in navigating family dynamics. If you or someone you know could benefit from this, I encourage you to book a consultation with me or refer someone who might. You can find me at the new website, or at the Nurture Life Coaching website. Together, let’s make this holiday season a time of ease, openness, and celebration of genuine togetherness.
I wish you all the happiest of holidays, dear friends. May we look out for each other with joy in our hearts today, tomorrow, and into a bright future together!
