Feminist as fuck in Stuff

I picked Megan up at the airport last night. I’m of course paraphrasing from memory, but this is about how the conversation about Mercer went. I started by telling her I needed her advice on how to handle the situation, and explained I thought she would be a good person to ask because her experience with her sister (who is trans). I gave her the rundown on what’s been going on with Mercer for the last week. Prior to that, she was already aware of things with Mercer so it’s not like this was a big surprise.

She says, “So what are you asking me, exactly?”

I responded, “I’m wondering what you think I should do.”

She had an almost confused look on her face. “Do?” she asked. “I don’t think you should do anything. Like what did you have in mind? Make a big deal out of it?”

“Well, no,” I said, “But I figured he’d need something from me. Some kind of support or encouragement.”

She was almost laughing when she said, “No teenager wants to have that kind of awkward conversation with his mother. Please don’t do that. You’re being super supportive already. Let him do his thing the way he wants to do it and just keep being your loving self.”

I was letting that all sink in and then she added, “I’m calling him ‘he’ but I don’t know what pronouns he wants. I’ll ask him next time I see him because it will be less weird if I ask.”

“So don’t do anything?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t put it that way. I’d say don’t change anything from how you’re currently acting. You’re such a great mom, just keep being a great mom.”

I feel weird/arrogant typing that, but it’s what she said.

When I dropped her off she had me come inside with her to give me something. I wasn’t sure what she meant. But then she opened her suitcase and took out a wrapped gift and handed it to me. I felt kind of shitty that I hadn’t even considered getting her anything. If she had spent Christmas with us of course I’d have given her something, but since she wasn’t around it didn’t even cross my mind.

I asked her if I should open it and she said of course. I guess it was a weird question. If I had just said thank you and walked away with it that would have been strange.

It was a dinner plate, elaborated decorated. Like so elaborately decorated that it was clearly over-done as a joke. And then in fancy writing across the top it said “Feminist as Fuck.”

She laughed and said she saw it in a shop in California and thought of me.