My sister is my best friend, my shoulder to cry on, someone I know I will always laugh with and someone I've always looked up to. She is one of the most loving and caring people I know. She's dedicated to her family, her friends and her church and in the past, her country as she's a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Yet until June 26th, 2015, she was not allowed to marry the person she loves just because she is gay. It didn't matter that she was a hard working citizen who paid her taxes and helped those less fortunate. It didn't matter that she served her country for 8 years. It didn't matter that she served her church in so many different ways. She couldn't get married because she wanted to marry a woman. She loved a woman. That's it. Although she and her now wife had been together for 14 years in a loving, commitment relationship, they could not legally marry. Enough of the negative. I just want to focus on the positive.
One of my favorite parts of the ceremony:
"We are gathered here today to celebrate the commitment that Cathy Anne Thum and Elizabeth Britt Blakeslee have made together. Their journey began 14 years ago. This day is not the beginning of their marriage, but is a celebration of the recognition of their union and a reaffirmation of their love for each other in the presence of their family-those here today and those that have gone before us."
I love that line. A celebration of the recognition of their union. A union that is finally recognized by the state and this country.
Love is love.
