I attended a wedding recently, and sat at a table with some very old friends, male friends, from my previous life.

It was a nice time to catch up with everyone and to enjoy dancing to a surprisingly appealing choice of music from decades ago, with a few more modern but nevertheless upbeat tunes mixed in.

As happens in large gatherings, conversations flowed among the group, involving changing sub-groups as the night wore on. When I wasn’t included, I was only too happy to scoot onto the dance floor and dance by myself, letting my heart soar with the energizing beat. I even asked one of my lonelier-looking guy friends to dance at one point.

When we came off the dance floor, he turned to me and asked if I had always loved to dance. I started to answer, “Well, ever since I changed…” and he nodded knowingly.

It’s so true. I feel… free! I get to experience the emotions that move me without editing them or stifling them. I’m not dancing to impress anyone or put the make on anyone as I might have done a lifetime ago. It’s just pure and it’s love – of the music and of myself.

The gifts that my life as Janie has brought into my life never seem to stop coming.