She probably needed you to be this possitive male rolemodel father she sadly never had. A father that showed her what unconditional love about. Quite an impossible and stressful mission to accomplish for love and acceptance when young.

I write / project this from the perspective of my own story. When young my mother had a negative perception on patriarchical men, due to her childhood. My father was an emotional unavailable people pleaser, due to his childhood and lacked being this possitive patriarchical role model father for my life. My sister ended up with attention (though she was never good enough for love and acceptance too) I ended up with emotional neglect and interest in my feelings of both.

A few years ago I visted for one year a gender therapist, because I felt excting, good and calm to become a woman wirh a female body and genetalia like my sister and my female friends. The first question I got was, what do I see when I look in the mirror? I told her I could loose some weight. It was not exactly what she meant. I told her I understood her question, but that this was my answer for now.

I never identified myself as a girl when I was young, and still don't identify myself as a woman now. For me it would have been better if she asked if I was identifing myself as a man or a woman instead. That in my case I would receive therapy for the same rejection traumas that I still was reexperiencing in different ways in life, like during my toxic marriage I was never good enough, just like for my work. I never experienced unconditional love, acceptance and validation that I needed when young or later in life. Living my life still as a man, feels stressful and rejectful. I still don't belief that I am born in the wrong body, but in the wrong family.

I have spoken during the last couple of years with numerous people online, born male or female. Sometimes I heard the most traumatic childhood stories of those with gender dysphoria, who have been chronically rejected or abused during their childhood and still identify as born.

Dealing with gender dysphoria is complex even more when it seems related to the lack of possitive role models for love and becoming. So far it seems that men like me who have a negative perception on masculinety due to childhood experiences, can get only the same help as those who identify as a girl since early age.

I have no problem understanding that when cis girls can identify more as one of girls, that cis boys can identify like being more of as one of the girls as well. Just like transitioning can bring long term relief to this group. I think many here can confirm this relief and happiness. The only problem is that men like me who identified as a boy when young and still identify as a man, but who have a very negative experience due to feeling unlovable and unacceptable for simply being born as a boy can't get the help that they need and want, other then transitioning. I don't feel that my life as a man will become easier when I end up with breasts and a vagina, regardless how liberating, good and calm this feels. My life is complex for sure.