Thank you for publishing Erica Avery’s Dec. 26 letter to the editor, ”Column on gender care for children opens discussion.”

The stakes are high. It is a complex issue. Parents and people who want to help kids through a difficult time are doing what they can to be supportive and helpful. Not everything that is being offered is helpful. We live in a “now” culture. We want to be happy and well-adjusted now. Unfortunately, there are well-meaning people who have used their expertise to “help” children find wholeness through hormone therapy and puberty blockers. Puberty is a transitional time.

What about being present and supportive of the difficult reality that comes with maturity? Transitions are times that pass, that we go through. It is not a good idea to mess with the body systems that have evolved over time by offering what appear to be simple solutions for finding happiness during a difficult stage of life. What we need to do is be present and supportive through the changes that puberty brings and reassure young people that they are not alone in their struggles.

I fully agree with the letter writer’s statement, “Gender nonconformity is beautiful. It should be celebrated, not medicalized.” It should not be necessary to take hormones or change body shapes to try out what it might be like to be a member of the opposite sex or somewhere in between.

The swing of the pendulum has gone too far. We need the guardrails of care and compassion without extreme action to keep us headed in the right direction. Thank you Ms. Avery, for writing. Let’s keep the discussion going.

Sally Fairfield

Shutesbury