I enjoy reading a book that enables me to think about topics from a different perspective. “This is How It Always Is” by Laurie Frankel is one of those books.  Rosie and Penn are dedicated parents of five boys, Roo, Ben, Rigel, Orion, and Claude.  Since Claude was very young, he wore dresses and pretended to be a princess.  Eventually, he proclaims that he wants to be a girl when he grows up and Rosie and Penn realize this is not a phase that he is going to “grow out of”.  The fear of the cruelty that Claude will face and the self-doubts they have about the challenges ahead are feelings that any parent can identify with. This book focuses on how this entire family lovingly navigates the unknown journey of helping Claude become Poppy and become her true self.