A shocking phone call from their distraught daughter-in-law was how Lynda and Richard Langley learnt that their son had started his transition from a man to a woman. The mad rush to their son's hospital bedside, anguish and fear for his physical health, shock from the nature of his injury, and the dread of the challenges to be faced in the coming months and years... Lynda's account of how she adjusted to the reality that her eldest son had decided to physically become a woman is the story of a family. Tears and laughter, support and withdrawal, accompany Toni -- now the eldest daughter -- as she maps out her new life. And with her all the time is Lynda, her mother. Helping to select her wardrobe, guiding her in the subtleties of speech and behaviour, and supporting her, especially in the early stages of her new life as a woman. A mother's story of losing a son and gaining a daughter -- a transsexual transition and a mother's love. While there have been some accounts of transsexual transition published on the web, this is the first account from a parent's perspective, and the first to be published in book form.

Like many parents, Sushma and Vijay Agarwal expected both of their sons to grow up, marry a lovely girl, and raise a family. When their younger son told them in 2004 that he was gay, Sushma was devastated. She wanted to know why this had happened to her family, who was to blame, and what she should do next. To come to terms with her son’s sexual orientation, she began to educate herself about homosexuality, a topic that Sushma had no exposure to. She went to counseling and attended PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) meetings. After much soul searching and many conversations with her son, husband, and others, Sushma accepted her son for who he was. In Loving My Gay Child, Sushma reveals how she came to terms with her son’s orientation, shared the news with friends and family, and finally threw a beautiful traditional gay Hindu wedding for her son and his fiancé.

Marsha Aizumi shares her compelling story of parenting a young woman who came out as a lesbian, then transitioned to male. Two Spirits, One Heart chronicles Marsha's personal journey from fear, uncertainty, and sadness to eventual unconditional love, acceptance, and support of her child who struggled to reconcile his gender identity. Told with honesty and warmth, this book is a must-read for parents and loved ones of LGBTQ+ individuals everywhere. In the past decade. Marsha has traveled the world sharing her journey and joy of parenting her trans son to diverse places such as religious groups, colleges and LGBTQ+ and PFLAG organizations. "Two Spirits, One Heart is honest and impactful, and I am immensely grateful to both Marsha and Aiden for sharing their personal journey with everyone. As Executive Director of PFLAG National—an organization focused on the journey of parents and families of LGBTQ+ people—I’m moved by Marsha's passion to make this world a better place for all people, and by her unwavering love for her trans child.” —Brian K. Bond, Executive Director. PFLAG National “Marsha and Aiden have written a must-read book that has helped generate conversations around inclusion and the importance of support and allyship in the LGBTQ+ space. We would highly recommend providing copies for employees, especially for those active within Employee Resource Groups, as we have received endless positive feedback.” —Emma Hamm & Joseph Pawlicki, Co-Heads of Out+Ally ERG at Subaru of America, Inc.

The New York Times bestselling final installment of Jeff VanderMeer’s wildy popular Southern Reach Trilogy It is winter in Area X, the mysterious wilderness that has defied explanation for thirty years, rebuffing expedition after expedition, refusing to reveal its secrets. As Area X expands, the agency tasked with investigating and overseeing it--the Southern Reach--has collapsed on itself in confusion. Now one last, desperate team crosses the border, determined to reach a remote island that may hold the answers they've been seeking. If they fail, the outer world is in peril. Meanwhile, Acceptance tunnels ever deeper into the circumstances surrounding the creation of Area X--what initiated this unnatural upheaval? Among the many who have tried, who has gotten close to understanding Area X--and who may have been corrupted by it? In this last installment of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, the mysteries of Area X may be solved, but their consequences and implications are no less profound--or terrifying.

The foundation of emotional intelligence is self- awareness. How do you learn to become more self-aware? The Journey Called YOU takes the reader on a journey into the world of self-awareness and self-wonder. It shows you how to discover yourself, to know yourself better, to accept yourself without judgment, and to make decisions that honor the highest form of you. In the end you feel more confident and grounded in yourself enabling you to be more authentic, manage yourself and your emotions more effectively, and lead others more assertively. There is as much to wonder about within you as there is in the world outside of you. Most of us look outside ourselves to find the answers. We look for pleasure in chasing goals and trying to accumulate stuff under the illusion that collecting things is what life is all about. We spend our time either berating and harshly judging ourselves or comparing ourselves to others to determine our successfulness based on some predetermined idea of what success is supposed to look like without really considering our own answers. In this book, you will learn how to discover your true nature and unleash the greatness within you. You will learn how to release yourself from the limiting beliefs and obstacles that hold you back from being all that is possible for you to become. You will learn how to create a vision for success and liberate yourself from the rules imposed by society and others so that you can make your own rules about how to live your life. And you will learn how to be authentically you, how to come to a place where you feel grounded in being you so that you feel comfortable in your own skin. You feel good about being you, you enjoy your life, and feel confident about the choices you make. As you increase your self-awareness, you access the power of choice and are better able to manage yourself and effectively lead others. This book shows you how to live a life that empowers you to be who you really are. A mixture of teaching tales, coaching tips, journaling exercises, and narrative divided into eight chapters, this eloquently written, easy-to-read book is designed to help you understand and accept yourself so you can make decisions every day that move you closer to the happy and fulfilled life you desire. You will learn how to use your personal power to free yourself to be you. After all, as Julie points out, "You are the most important person in your life! Without you, what do you have?"

The life-changing guide to finding freedom from our self-doubt through the revolutionary practice of Radical Acceptance from the renowned meditation teacher, psychologist, and author—now revised and updated with a new introduction and an in-depth guide to the author’s signature mindfulness techniques. “Radical Acceptance offers us an invitation to embrace ourselves with all our pain, fear, and anxieties, and to step lightly yet firmly on the path of understanding and compassion.”—Thich Nhat Hanh “Believing that something is wrong with us is a deep and tenacious suffering,” says Tara Brach at the start of this illuminating book. This suffering emerges in crippling self-judgments and conflicts in our relationships, in addictions and perfectionism, in loneliness and overwork—all the forces that keep our lives constricted and unfulfilled. Radical Acceptance offers a path to freedom, including the day-to-day practical guidance developed over Dr. Brach’s forty years of work with therapy clients and Buddhist students. Writing with great warmth and clarity, Tara Brach brings her teachings alive through personal stories and case histories, fresh interpretations of Buddhist tales, and guided meditations. Step by step, she shows us how we can stop being at war with ourselves and begin to live fully every precious moment of our lives.