This had just been the best, most gorgeous day in Minnesota. And you know what? It was cloudy and rainy here all day, right up till the 3:00 vote on gay marriage rights. Then the skies cleared in what seemed like moments, and the sun poured down on us. At almost the exact moment of the last vote. It was as if all the heavens approved, contrary to the Michelle Bachmann rant, which I'll get to in a bit.
First things first. My son is gay and was at the capitol this afternoon with thousands of others. He came home as joyous as I've seen him in years, and seemed to this mother's eye to be walking taller. The embrace we shared when he walked into our house will be with me till my dying day.
There were so many who made this happen. One couple in particular, who have so touched my heart. Their gay son died in Afghanistan, and since then they have devoted themselves to making gay marriage legal in Minnesota. They have done amazing things. Here's a story on them that I think is well worth the read.
http://www.cnn.com/...
I was driving home from a work appointment, listening to my little progressive radio station, and this couple was being interviewed. I was crying so hard---the fabulous release of a battle hard won--- I had the urge to turn on my window shield wipers, even though the sun was shining on our little corner of the earth. These people and so many others, including myself, have worked hard for this, and today it came true. And I felt young again. Yes I did. Because what makes you feel young is believing dreams come true.
Now my son has choices. He loves the Twin Cities, it's his home place. Now he has the choice to stay if that's what's right for him, rather than being chased from here in search of his full rights. And what's more, he's seen that little by little, more and more, the America he calls his home land is willing to see him as an equal. To pay him the respect as a human being that should have been his due the day he was born.
As a mother, I'm so happy to see that he will not have to marinate in anger and disappointment. That he can move forward knowing sometimes things turn out right. We all need to believe in that to keep chugging along, in whatever battles we fight.
As for Bachmann, she made such outrageous comments today, that I truly doubt her full sanity. I'm sure this will be covered here, so I'll leave that to others. She'll not rain on my parade, not one fucking drop. I can only hope her threats are true, and that she's packing up her family to head for some other place as we speak.
In conclusion, the dictionary simply doesn't have the words for how I feel tonight. Happiness, joy, relief---they all only get half way there.