Those who’ve known me since childhood know just how much I was a little boy who wasn’t like the others.

Gentle, curious, calm, sensitive.

At that age, I was simply me — without filters, without the weight of society’s expectations, free to be and to act exactly as my little heart guided me.

And that’s the beauty of it all. I look at this old photo — one I’ve seen many times in my life — and I’ve always considered it the perfect example of who I was back then. It radiates a softness you don’t usually see in typical “little boy” pictures.

The most fascinating part of all this is how much my transition brought me back to that softness, to that natural truth of who I was before society hammered into my head that I had to be a man. A “real” man.

And honestly, it feels so good to see that same softness again — those facial features that had completely disappeared over time, resurfacing after more than 35 years between these two photos.

A child is incapable of hiding their nature. And when adulthood has tried so hard to bury it, seeing it come back so strongly warms my heart in the best way.

I look at that old photo now, and I can’t help but see a little girl striking a cute pose — not a little boy 🩷.

So to you, little boy — so innocent, who saw the world with wide, curious eyes but was also scared by the gap you felt between yourself and the rest of the world — I can finally tell you that you survived where it truly mattered. Because now, I’m living the life you could only dream of back then: being you, without compromise, without negotiation, fully and beautifully. 🩷🏳️‍⚧️