This year, I actually managed to make some art as gifts for my parents, as well as those who played somewhat of a significant parental role in my life at the time.

For Mother's Day, I made two main versions. One was for my actual Mother, while the other was meant as a gift for my sister-in-law, who also happens to be a mother, but also kind of assumed the role when I came out to her and my brother as trans.

She was so supportive, by helping me work through some of my emotional hangups at the time, that she accidentally satisfied the needs I so desperately wanted my actual mother to fulfil, despite her reservations regarding my eventual transition. I don't want to throw my mom under the bus, but this isn't the place to discuss her issues with my transition. All I'll say is that she's doing her best to be encouraging despite several, somewhat justified, concerns.

One of them was also meant for and adapted to a close friend of mine who was playing the part for me for a short, albeit very significant time around then. Things have unfortunately changed a tad between us since, but at least we both still hold on to those memories rather fondly.

I'd been meaning to do something likewise creative as a gift for my father. He's really into model trains - even though he insists that it's purely for my nephew's benefit - so I drew a simplified version of one of those he recently added to his collection.

This was the first time I'd addressed myself in such an overtly feminine way, and it felt good, if a little strange.