[BarbaraRyan]

Thank you Lady_Wu for sharing. I admire your strength and determination. I am curious though - What is a taitai? I've never heard that term before.

Hugs!

Originally Posted by Lady_Wu

I am still the femme I described. Let me be more specific now.
I am short-haired, like a bikkhuni and studying to be a Roshi and Taoist priest. My nails are long and I wear dresses but little make-up. A little lipstick and nail-polish for special occasions. Perfume everyday, though. I have 3 scents I wear: Romance, Green Tea, and Inner Realm.
I live more like a Taoist monk than anything else. I take care of the sick, clean house and prepare meals like a good Chinese taitai. I study when I have time. But the above leaves me little time.
I am not as healthy as I used to be. MS and other illnesses have taken their toll. My spirit is still strong. I will have pain. Pain will NOT have me.
I would love to be pampered and have someone take care of me. That is not my lot in life right now, though I have hopes that one day that could change. Right now I just want a peaceful home. I would also like a few friends. I have accepted that that is just not possible here. Meeting people is impossible in a town that has no gay community: no bar, though that is not my scene; no bookstores, and no cafes or coffee houses.
I love these mountains but the people in WV are unlike any I've ever known. Unless you are from here, you basically do not have any way to be known. No-one speaks to each other in the grocery, unless it is to talk to others related to them. Sigh. I'm used to exchanging recipes with strangers in the vegetable section. And having no-one be a stranger. Then again, I come from the deep South. The cold is killing me as well. Again, it is gorgeous but hard to maneuver in.
So I live the life of a Taoist monk, trying to do good and study. I have my dreams still but have found that happiness comes in small doses. Contentment is the best I hope for.
Lady_Wu, Taoist monk femme