More than Colleagues — They’re Family

To some, this may seem a bit silly…a waste of time…but for me — I will refer to these messages of support, encouragement, and love on days when I encounter obstacles or negativity from others.

These are all emails/messages I have received from my work family (names have been removed). I read them quite often — as they serve as a reminder of just how much I am loved and appreciated…and how many people are behind me…supporting me in every step of this journey.

Holy shit! You Free-king ROCK!

You are bold and beautiful (handsome), brave and courageous, and totally awesome.

While I have no way to know what your life has been like, I relate to my own internal journeys to wellness and am grateful you are finding yours.

Lori -> Liam — its all the same inside and I am thankful to have you as a friend and role model.

I find that judgment is for those who fear themselves. I also believe that life is about discovery, not necessarily about answers.

You are an explorer, bold and brave and I am honored that you are willing to celebrate that journey with me.

Please let me know how I can help and support you.

Liam,

I could not be more thrilled for you — congratulations!!!! I can only imagine the weight that has been lifted off your shoulders to live how you are meant to live.

If there is anything I can do to support you during this time, PLEASE let me know!

Cheers to living life!

Xoxoxoxxoxo

Thank you for including me. I feel so grateful to know you, and am so happy for you as you undergo this journey to really be your full self. You inspire me and so many others, I hope you realize this. I’m here for you and am sending many blessings, positive thoughts, and hugs your way.

My dear Liam (this is going to take some getting used to!),

You have my wholehearted support. Always. I am happy you will be happy with who you are. That matters so much in how we see every interaction, every moment. Keep us posted if you are ok with it, and let us know how things are going. We love the you that is you, it’s not tied to a name or a gender or a pronoun. I have loved Lori and will continue to love Liam.

Deep breath…. I know this was hard! Proud of you for owning your struggles.

You are loved. You are worthy of LOVE. ☺

Hi Liam:

Wow, you are a courageous person and I am so proud to know you and that you included me in this email.

I will support you in any way you need, an ear to listen, open a trusted dialog, etc.

I just want you to know you have my support!

Liam,

I love you.

And I am so (at a loss for the right word which never happens so I am going with what was in my head)…proud of you for embracing yourself and becoming who you are, inside and out.

I am with you 100%. Next to you, beside you, behind you…wherever you need me to be so that you are fully supported, appreciated, and loved through this journey.

I will likely get a few things wrong along the way. My experience with gender transitions is minimal — mostly through friends whose children have made this choice. Yet my support for you is deep.

“The most important thing is to be able at any moment to sacrifice what you are for what you could become. “ ~ Charles Dubois

People are people.

Friends are friends.

Family is family.

Right? 😊

Love and light, Liam.

Hi Liam,

Thank you for sharing this message.

What courage to send this email out and I’m proud of you to take this life-changing step!

I’m happy for you that you can take this step, as I understand from interviews with people who did this gender change, became even happier despite all challenges they are faced with during the process of changing. Being happy, that’s what counts, isn’t it?

I’m proud of you Liam and if you need support in any shape or form please don't hesitate to contact me.

Success with all the gender-changing medical treatment and hope it all goes well.

And if people don't understand knowing you a little bit you can handle it as well and you know that there are also people that fully support you and I’m one of them.

You can always count on me despite that I'm thousands of miles away!

Hey Liam!

If I respond to your message with ‘no big deal’ then this is based on how I feel about you being the same fabulous human being that you have always been.

I know for you this is huge and daring and brave — but good on you Liam!

Cool new name… and I hope you get to keep wearing those cool shoes that I have been envious of for some time :-)

Hello, my dear friend.

Thank you for sharing what you have been going through and what you are about to go through. You are the epitome of ‘courage’! I am sure this has not been an easy road for you but finally you are doing something that makes YOU happy, and that makes me want to celebrate with you! I hope you know Liam that you have my support, friendship and love always.

Wishing you all the best next week with the testosterone shots. I will be thinking of you so much!

I want to congratulate you Liam on the tremendous courage it has taken for you to do this. You will no doubt help other who are in a similar situation to you and that will be life-changing for others.

I wish you all the best.

Wow wow wow Liam I am SO SO SO happy for you and so proud and flattered to be receiving this mail from you.

Whilst this, of course, isn't an easy journey, ultimately the rewards will be so rich and while everyone will have lovely memories of Lori, the real magic and potential and momentum will be with you, Liam. (Love the name choice!).

I am here for you whenever you need a friend or any kind of possible support. A very close friend of mine transitioned from female to male over 20 years ago and I am happy to share learnings he has shared with me. He has had all the surgery/shots/therapy. His only regret I know was a sense of being cheated on living his early years as his true self so I encourage you to really explore this as you progress so it doesn't haunt you.

Sending love and hugs, what an exciting path you have ahead.

Dear Liam,

I think you are one of the most courageous human beings that I have the privilege of knowing. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to assist you throughout your journey. As always, your openness, authenticity, and honesty are an example to the rest of us of how we all can live in this world. I am honored that you chose to include me in your email. Thank you, kind sir.

With love, gratitude, and an incredible amount of respect.

Wow, well WOW!

Liam

Good for you my friend and I am humbled by your bravery in coming forward and being when you want to be.

I admire you tremendously for this and although the road ahead will be peppered with some potholes, the end journey will be worth it.

Please let me know what I can do to help you as you make this big, life-changing effort and if you can’t think of anything that’s fine, even just pinging me for a chat is fine.

I will admit upfront that I may slip occasionally and call you Lori but that is not due to anything other than familiarity with the old as I get used to the new.

Be proud, be bold, be YOU.

You know I already think you are an amazing human! Your resilience and courage are to be admired. It is one of the reasons you and I have connected and become friends. I am 100% here to support you in your journey, be a person to bounce ideas around with and be a trusted ear.

Much love you to Liam.

I’m fucking proud of you taking this huge step, Liam.

Glad to help however I’m able!

Hugs, love, and support ALWAYS!

Liam! (Great name choice). I am actually relieved reading your message because I assumed it was an announcement to leave the company.☺ This is so much better. 100% behind you and glad you are taking the courageously bold step to embrace what you’ve known your whole life.

“Becoming the real person that I’ve always felt inside” — TEARS of JOY reading this. GO YOU. I’m also grateful to be on the recipient list of this message in that you trust me to share this news.

Thinking of you in your next steps and let me know if there’s anything I can do to support you❤

Liam, I am so honored to have been included in this email. Thank you for your trust, and for taking the brave and bold step to live your truth. It will help so many people.

Please advise about pronouns, and let me know if you need the shit kicked out of anybody.

Oh my gosh, you are so brave and courageous. Thank you for sharing this incredible journey and story with us.

Whatever you need we are all here for you. You are never alone and I can’t wait to see you soar as you become you — Liam.

Long-distance hugs and thank you for including me on your journey.

Liam,

It is SO nice to meet you. When I saw the title of this email in my inbox I was worried you were leaving the company and was prepared to be very sad. Instead, this news is joyful!! I am extremely honored that you chose to share it with me. You are one of the people I most look forward to seeing in the office and whom I most look up to — even though we’ve only worked together for a short time you are just one of my all-time faves (no other way to put it!). So it makes my heart very joyful that you are finally going to get to live and present as who you are inside.

I will be here every step of the way.

I am thankful to be someone you felt compelled to share this update and a new journey with. I will keep this to myself until the announcement goes out to others, but I look forward to working and partnering with you, Liam, as I have done so in the past 😊

Happy thoughts and best wishes of good health during this time!

Liam, you will always be the same wonderful person!!! Thank you so much for sharing this with me. I will do whatever I can to support you on this journey. I can’t guarantee that I won’t screw up a few times, but just gently correct me and we’ll go from there. I want to say that you are courageous to do this, but I wish we were at a point that it didn’t take courage (well except for all of the medical stuff) and that it was just something people decided to do and others just naturally accepted it. I know there will be ups and downs, but know that we are all here for you. Thank you for considering me as a trusted friend. I truly value our relationship.

Liam,

I am SO proud of you!! Absolutely love the name, and you as a person no matter what. You are a trailblazer, leader, and friend of so many. It must be a stressful time but I know your crew is there with you always and will accept you with open arms. Excited for you and a step towards being able to be the true you ❤

That message was so well written and articulated.

Let me know if you ever need anything — you are a superhero!!

You are a role model to so many, hope you see how incredible you are every day.

Hi Liam,

First off, I hope you don’t mind me using Liam even though you don’t plan on officially identify as Liam until the 9th. Thank you SO much for sharing this with me — I’m honored you trust me enough to share such big and life-changing news.

I am so happy for you to feel comfortable to take this big step and live the life you were meant to lead. While I’m sure it will come with scary or challenging times, it warms my heart to know that you will get to live out your days as Liam, who you really are.

I can’t wait to work with you, and be your friend, through the changes and see you in the body/gender that makes you most comfortable and feels the most authentic.

Along the way, I’m here always to talk…and please be patient with me while I learn along the way with you (if I use the wrong name or pronoun..say the wrong thing, please correct me).

I stand by you 1000% — sending hugs! ❤

Hi Liam!

I’m so very impressed by you! Thank you for including me in this email update, I feel honored.

A couple of shoutouts… I’m in employee relations now and have access to all the things. If you need anything fast-tracked in the system with your name/ gender, I can help.

Your strength, courage, and light are absolutely inspiring.

Dearest Liam (one of my ALL TIME favorite names, BTW),

First, thank you. Thank you for including me in this announcement. You are so inspirational in so many ways, but this one takes the cake. To step into your truth, to live who you are, and to trust that others will support you on the path takes so much courage and so much conviction. You have both of these in spades.

Second, I got your back. If you ever need to talk (yes, 2 am chats count), I will always be here for you. While I may not comprehend all that you are experiencing, I commit to being on your team, with full listening ears turned up, to hear you, to see you and to celebrate you.

Third, you are an exceptional human being. Do not EVER forget that.

With love and endless support.

Liam:

I am so very proud (totally the wrong emotion and word I know) of you. I am very honored that you would share this decision with me. You will be my third friend or friend’s child that has transitioned. I’m here to help you in any way I can, and mostly to show support.

I know this decision was a torturous one, so it’s now time to get into action mode. I’m here for you.

Please forgive the future risk of me calling you Lori; I will do everything to avoid that stumble. Thank you for keeping the pronouns easy for all of us. That’s where I’ve gotten a bit awkward in the past.

BTW, you damn well better be the “same ‘me’ within”…

You are courageous and loved.

And your name is freakin cool.

Be strong. But above all else, be kind and patient with yourself.

I wish you nothing but the best.

My only tangible advice, journal your experience and your feelings.

Best wishes my friend.

Hey Liam, YAY, this email makes me so warm and happy inside. I am so thrilled for you to be embarking on this exciting journey as I believe passionately that we all need to honor our true selves. I am also happy as I am 100% confident that you will feel the love and support of your work family willing you on. That says lots about our culture.

We are all here for you along the way. Take care of yourself and let me know if there is anything I can be doing for you.

So proud of you Liam Ashtyn for living your truth!!! I am here to support you and protect you on this journey.

Please let me know what I can do to help lift you higher on your walk.

I am proud to know all of you! 🙏🏽

I can’t imagine what you are feeling inside but I do know to achieve internal peace is worth its weight in good. 😍❤️❤️

Liam — I’m proud of your courage, sweet friend. Thank you for sharing and I’m looking forward to keeping up with your journey!

Liam –

You are so brave and such a wonderful person. No matter what your name, gender, etc are, I respect who you are and what you bring to the world. Thanks so much for trusting enough to share your story. You inspire me!!

Always here if you need anything!!

I am so very proud of you!

You are one of the strongest people I know and I am honored that you shared this with me.

Liam, if there is anything you ever need, please reach out to me. I am looking forward to watching you make your dreams come true.

Thank you for being so brave and transparent about this with me. I accept you as the wonderful “YOU” that “YOU’ are. I support you and I love you. I am happy to welcome “Liam” in my circle. Lori or Liam, I know that I still get fabulous “YOU”!

Liam,

I am SO. DAMN. PROUD. OF. YOU! I am here for you. I am HONORED to call you Liam (perfect name). To know you. To love you. Bravery takes many forms and what I always find to be the hardest is the one of being our true selves that we want and desire to be. I accept you fully and I thank you for doing the same for me.

Hi Liam.

I am here for you any day, any time, to talk, to listen or whatever you need. This is new for me to know someone personally transitioning. I wish you only the best in your journey and know you are not alone and have my support! Big hugs!

My lovely Liam

I feel so grateful to be one of the people you have shared this with and so proud of you too.

I am so happy that you will be able to live as who you are and please know that you will always be such a beautiful inspiring person to me who I learn from every day.

Please know I am also always here for you.

Take care my lovely

Congratulations on this life change, Liam!

Very happy for you and hope that you are celebrated, loved and supported throughout this experience, and sending you good thoughts and strength for any challenging moments that may be ahead.

If and when there is anything I can do to help or support you, directly or indirectly, please let me know.

Thank you for being you!

Hello Friend!

First, I am honored and humbled that you felt you can share the news with me. I am one of your biggest fans and I am thrilled you will be making the changes that align with your true self.

I have several personal friends, in different stages of transition, and I know from their experience that you are going to have many experiences ahead. I want you to know that I am always here for you, to listen, to offer feedback, or to share my home if you need a weekend getaway and want to spend some time on the farm. You are one of the most authentic and beautiful people I know and I blessed to call you a friend.

Please know I am here for you in all the ways you need me. You have always been an inspiration to so many and you will continue to be in your next chapter.

Sending you love and BIG hugs.

Hi Liam,

I am absolutely thrilled for you that you will be able to bring your true self to work as well as all other aspects of your life! I was just thinking back on the last panel discussion you had and my first thought was “what a great example you are setting for your kids”! I’m sure there will continue to be occasional struggles along the way but know that your work family supports you 100%.

Hi Liam,

Wow! I am incredibly proud of you for coming forward and speaking your truth. I can’t imagine how difficult this journey has been for you, and I deeply admire your strength. Please know that I support you 1000% and I will be here for you as a listening ear, always. You said it exactly right… this is a gift and given this, you can empathize and support so many other individuals who are also on this journey and who need that courage and that voice.

I am so thankful for our friendship and know that I will always have your back, no questions asked. When you do start your blog, I would love to have the link, so I can read and stay updated on your transition. You deserve all things good and I am filled with joy to know that you can move forward feeling free to be exactly who you were made to be.

Liam,

Thank you so much for including me in this email and for sharing your story and journey with me. I feel so incredibly honored to be someone you trust this announcement with, and I know that was a bold (and scary) step for you. I’m proud of you — and proud to call you a friend and role model — someone I genuinely look up to. Please know that I am here to support you however I can, and I am so happy that you get to experience this gift and sense of wholeness in your life. J

I’m always here for you!

You are indeed my favorite human and I stand by it! I am sooo very proud of you and am on your tribe always.

I love the name Liam and look forward to celebrating with you.

Thank you so much for including me in this email — I am so honored and humbled that you trust me with this very special news and for allowing me to be part of this life-defining journey you are embarking on.

Please let me know how can I continue to help/support you and please also know that I am here for a chat, call, hug or anything else you need. Take care and stay blessed.

Thank you for sharing this, Liam. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to ensure you find a supportive workplace as you move forward.

I fully support and embrace your decision to be you. And I love that you are taking a bold step towards it.

Thank you for thinking to include me in the group you sent this email to. I’m excited for your journey but most excited you will soon feel whole.

Please send me the blog link when you start and let me know if I can do anything to help support you on this next chapter.

Cheers to bold steps and finding your peace. ❤️

Hey Liam

Thank you so much for sharing your life-changing news with me. Quite simply, I applaud you for your bravery and your honesty. And you are right, aren’t we lucky to work at a place which is so accepting and so inclusive.

I can only imagine that the time and energy, along with doubt and tears — put into such an important decision has been immense. At the same time, I really hope that you now feel a weight lifted off your shoulders 😊. There will be hard times, as you not, but I also hope, much, much joy for you.

I look fwd to continuing to work with you and as always, here for any support you need.

My very best wishes!

Hi Liam

First, thank you for including me in this email. I’m very touched that you thought of me.

Second, I’m very happy for you and your next steps. This is such a great journey!

Please know as you are moving through your journey that I, like everyone else, is 10000% behind you!!!!

Liam,

Just wanted to send a quick note to say thank you for trusting our team with your heart. I’m happy you feel comfortable enough with us to be yourself!

Let me know if there is anything I can do to help support you.

Liam, your bravery & courage to share your journey leaves me in awe! Now that Brene Brown book makes a lot more sense! ;-) I’m grateful to work with you and be more educated on what it means to be inclusive. YOU ROCK!

Liam — Thank you for sharing. I am teary-eyed reading about your journey but also so happy that you are taking this step for you. I will be here for you and to support you — although you really may not need my support — I just wanted you to know. 😊

Wishing you all the best and happiness as you start this journey and part of your life.

Welcome back, Liam! 😊 Happy you are walking the path to be who you are!

If you are not more deserving of the “taking a bold step” token I don’t know who else is. I am a very private person so I can only imagine the courage it took to share your news with the team. Liam, thank you so much for trusting us and feeling comfortable enough with us to share. I am so happy and proud that we work at a company that encourages us to be who we truly are.

My dear Liam,

I’m profoundly moved that you chose to share this exquisitely personal and sensitive news with me. I consider it an act of true trust and friendship. Thank you. Thank you for giving me the privilege of knowing about this profound decision and sharing why you have made it. I know how important it is to you. Please know I care and support you in your journey — -because you are amazing. You are an amazing, gifted, wonderful, unique person. You are a person of immense courage and conviction. I will be cheering you on in your journey towards wholeness….Peace….Shalom.

Please let me know how I can be supporting you, my friend.

With love and admiration.

Liam, I am so sorry for the delay in replying to this my friend. It’s been a bit crazy with travel over the last few weeks but I am home now and catching up on emails.

Firstly, thank you. Thanks for sharing this with me and trusting me with something so personal. You have always inspired me with your vulnerability and its one of the things I admire you for the most 😊

Secondly, know that you are loved. Lori or Liam — all of us here love YOU. Keep being you and shine bright.

Just a quick note letting you know you are supported and cared for…I have your back! Let me know if you need me- I’m here. 😊

LIAM! I am so. Proud. So proud of you owning — you! If I can help in anything (not even related to this) you know I’m here for you.

I do have a question because I want to be as supportive as possible. Let me preface this by saying, my brain can be an idiot. I still call one of my sorority sisters by her maiden name though she’s been married for 20 years. If I accidentally call you Lori, because I’ve known you by that name for so long, is there a way that I can, when I inevitably catch myself, make it less awkward for you?

I am sending you much love. And also, if I make other mistakes that I don’t even know about — don’t ever feel like you can’t tell me.

HUUUUUGGGGGGGS

I know I was on during the announcement, but I just wanted to send you a quick note. I’ve always admired you and looked up to since I started working with you, but I wanted to let you know how incredibly inspiring you are. I can’t even begin to imagine the process you are going through and being born into the wrong body, and it is so brave of you to be true to yourself and I can’t wait to see your journey. Honestly, there were tears in my eyes watching your video on your blog, I am so so so happy that you’ve gotten so much positive support. I look forward to reading and watching your blog posts as you go through this. This will be a scary and stressful experience for you, but I want you to know that I am fully supportive of you 100% and will do anything and everything I can to make things easier for you.

Overall, I just want you to know that I admire your bravery and I am so proud and excited that you are finally becoming the person you were always meant to be.

Words cannot describe how unbelievably grateful I am to have a manager like Liam. He is truly an inspiration and I admire his bravery and courage. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your journey!

Liam’s bold step in taking charge of who he is inside and out is tremendously brave and courageous! I respect him more than words can express for taking this bold step! I truly can’t wait to see his journey into being the person he has been all along!

LIAM! I love the name. I am so excited for Liam and his journey. Taking this incredibly bold step towards becoming the person he truly is, is inspiring!

I just wanted to say congrats to you!! Very proud of you and am here to support in any way I can!!!!

Congrats on announcing your transition! I can’t begin to tell you how deeply I appreciate your willingness to be real and visible! My oldest child is non-binary and I just am so, so profoundly grateful for every person who can show up authentically. Your example literally saves lives.