Fight For Your Life

Sitting in the waiting room looking over at my brother grinning with excitement, I reflect on the past years of his transition.  The road, which I am sure was much longer for him than for us as his family, was not smooth.   My heart ached for my brother as he struggled to find himself in a world that is filled with so much judgement.  I think to myself, how proud I am of his strength and perseverance, and that I wish others could see that there is so much life to be lived and hope to found. I check my iPhone as we wait patiently for them to call his name into surgery. I see he has wrote a status on Facebook that perfectly sums up what I was thinking . . . [Those sibling brain waves at work]

"If you are unhappy, push through. Good things are to come even if they take years. #living proof." - Jaxson

You see, when you're dealing with internal battles that are sometimes hard to talk about, everything can easily get pushed aside.  I feel as though my brother, who is transgender, had to walk through fire to get to where he is today, and as much as our feet burned while we tried to guide him, it was ultimately up to him to push through. Much like living with diabetes, we are guided by our friends, peers and family, but it is ultimately us that has to make the choice to push through.  

Although Jaxson is my younger sibling I can safely say he has taught me some very valuable lessons about life that I hope to pass along to those that I recognize are struggling. I also hope by writing this very blog post that at least one person can look at Jaxson's perseverance and see that no matter what your situation is, whether you're dealing with gender dysphoria, or struggling with your diabetes, the list is endless and is in no way ranked. What you're dealing with is real and valid, and so worth the fight. 

"I have never honestly felt the happiness and comfortability I have up to this point. Last year I was dragging myself just to be here and now I'm the happiest man alive. Don't give up, good things are yet to come. 👊🏼#fightforyourlife" - Jaxson

I also would like to state that I am a safe person to speak to, I will not shame, I will not judge, I will not tell.  

Kayla