AUTHOR: M. DATE: 10:41:00 AM ----- BODY:

It's Blogging for LGBT Families Day, a day "to raise awareness about LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) families," according to Mombian. As soon as I learned about this (thanks to Shannon), I knew I wanted to write something. But what? My family is just... a family. But that's really the point, isn't it? My wife and I have been together almost 6 years, and were legally married almost exactly two years ago. Sometimes I look at the wedding ring on my left hand and I can't believe it. When I came out 11 years ago it didn't occur to me to want this. It wasn't even in my frame of reference - queers didn't have those kinds of lives, I thought. I had never seen this map, and many parts of it didn't exist then. We have stones from one of each of our grandmothers in our wedding rings. I never knew my wife's grandmother but I think she was the kind of straight-from-the-hip salty woman I would have loved. She sounds a lot like my own Mom-Mom. I feel the pull and presence of our grandmothers when I look at my ring. The state where we live sanctioned our marriage. We were married by a rabbi, with all the blessings of history and tradition and richness of our shared culture. Our families toasted us and danced (once we finished fighting with them about wedding planning). The agency I work for has allowed me to cover my wife under my health and dental insurance since I started working here. We share a car insurance bill, a bank account that is often in the red, a family care doctor, politics, priorities, a last name, and a mortgage. I make dinner and she does dishes. We adore each other and we fight over things that are sometimes poignant and sometimes stupid. Chaotic, sometimes loud, loving, run-of-the-mill dysfunctional, passionate, legally bound, protective, devoted. That's us. It blows my mind.

-------- COMMENT-AUTHOR: FemiKnitMafia COMMENT-DATE:11:39 AM COMMENT-BODY:You guys fight? -------- COMMENT-AUTHOR: Anonymous COMMENT-DATE:2:38 PM COMMENT-BODY:This is such a sweet description! Good for you, miss. -------- COMMENT-AUTHOR: J COMMENT-DATE:3:05 PM COMMENT-BODY:nice post;) -------- COMMENT-AUTHOR: Barb COMMENT-DATE:7:47 AM COMMENT-BODY:love is grand. -------- COMMENT-AUTHOR: Anonymous COMMENT-DATE:7:34 PM COMMENT-BODY:One might think that queer families are just families. Amazing! I am so happy and proud of you both! -------- COMMENT-AUTHOR: Anonymous COMMENT-DATE:9:30 PM COMMENT-BODY:How do you get her to do the dishes? -------- COMMENT-AUTHOR: Anonymous COMMENT-DATE:8:39 PM COMMENT-BODY:Congratulation! --------