As the news hit this afternoon that Pennsylvania is one of 19 states that declared unconstitutional the ban on gay marriage, I said out loud, “it’s about time!”
I watched the afternoon news blasts with interest as counties and court houses announced how they will accommodate what they believe will be a rush on marriage licenses.
I found myself wishing our Uncle could of been alive to see this day. I have watched family who have lived the struggle of being themselves, and have seen first hand the pain caused by society’s hate filled words,
I have a granddaughter who is gay. As a child, she was quiet and withdrawn and spent much of her time alone and none of us understood why. Then one day she found the courage to say, “I am gay.” I was so happy with how our family responded to her at the time. We all just embraced her and then stood back and watched her bloom.
Recently, our community hosted a welcome to newcomers meeting. Among the new residents was a gay couple. After going around the room and each new resident introducing themselves, the one gentleman, asked for the floor to say, “I would like to make an announcement. My partner and I got married a couple of weeks ago.” The room broke out in applause. Tears filled his eyes and afterwards when I went up to congratulate him, he said, “I never allowed the dream of the day anything like this would happen.” It was a special moment for them, and for me, as I also recognized how times have changed.
I know this battle is not done yet, but I also know how far we have come. I am of the age that I remember the days of segregation and am happy to see how far we have come from that time. As each generation has passed through we have become more accepting of those that are different than ourselves. I know it will not ever be perfect, but for now I’ll enjoy watching this quiet revolution and join those in celebration of a life allowed to be lived.
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