When my nephew was born, he was the sweetest most chubby and beautiful baby boy I had laid my eyes on. With huge brown eyes and eyelashes for days. He grew up with a brother and his mom and dad and loved dolls, fashion and dressing up.

There came a time when he started getting a little older and his mama questioned if his love of all things “girl” was a phase. My sister sought help when her son came to her crying because he was not what God made him. He was a girl. He felt like a girl inside.

My sister went through hell and back. She watched her son lose the life in his eyes. When she brought him to talk to a therapist he was brought back to life, for it was the first time he could say out loud to someone other than his family that he is a girl. 

My nephew is now my niece. The transition has been so incredibly easy for everyone. When I sat my own three kids down to explain that sometimes God makes someone extra special, they didn’t bat a lash. They accepted their cousin and they love her more than anything. The rest of our family have taken the change as if it was nothing new. The hardest part is to remember to say “she” instead of “he.”

My niece has a very accepting school. Posters are seen supporting transgendered rights. And most of the other students just accept her for who she is.

I won’t get into all the crazy stories and hoopla surrounding transgendered rights. I’m here to encourage you to be kind. Seeing my nine-year old nephew want to end his life opened my eyes in a way I never thought possible. You truly never know someone’s battles. That one mean thing you said today could have sent someone into a spiral of depression.

Kindness goes such a far way. You may not agree with someone’s views or beliefs, and you know what? That’s OK! That’s the beauty of it all, disagree and still be kind to one another. It is 2016 and thankfully the times they are a changing. Life is so very short and it should be spent lifting others up. Not tearing them down.

As for my niece, she is a fabulous little girl who loves high heels, pink hair, and fashion. She is just a little girl who deserves to grow up and be treated just like anyone else. She is kind and she deserves your kindness in return.

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” e.e. cummings

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Katie Brady

Hi! I'm Katie Brady! I live in Omaha, Nebraska with my husband and four kids. I have a six-year-old, four-year-old, three-year-old, and a one-year-old. Three girls and a little boy! So, I'm kept busy at home with them. I've always had such a passion for writing, but since my youngest was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis it has become a form of therapy. I'm so excited to share our life with everyone!

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