Dear Wifester,

Two years ago today, I emerged from my hotel room all dressed in white to find you all dressed in black, as polished and charming as the first day I ever laid eyes on your beautiful smiling face. Hand in hand, we headed to the chapel and said our "I do's" with trembling knees and trembling voices.
We laughed because you were so nervous you said "With this wing, I thee wed..."
I no longer laugh at that, because I know that on that day, you did give me wings. You gave me wings that allowed me to soar above the adversity, the fear, and the insecurity that have always kept me grounded.

With that wing, you gave me a new life.
I am a better person today for having known you, for having loved you, and for having married you. We are better people together than either of us could have imagined we could have ever been.
Two years ago today, you and I stood hand in hand and announced before the chaplain, the witness, and your parents that we would love and honor each other for all the days of our lives.
It seemed a little bit scary at the time. A little bit overwhelming, to be honest. But I knew in my heart of hearts that if there were ever anyone in this world that I would want to spend the rest of my life with, it would be you.
I never really believed too much in marriage before you came along. With it originating as a barter system, with women as the collateral, I never wanted to be an object to buy, sell, or trade.
Our marriage is so far from that, so far from what I ever thought marriage was.
I love that you are my best friend, my confidant, and my muse.
I love that I can tell you anything, absolutely anything and you'll never waver in your love for me and vice-versa.

Today, my love, I want you to know how very much I love you with all my heart and soul.
How grateful I am to have you in my life and how very, very much I adore you.
When I hear people dismiss marriage, or make snide remarks about their spouses, I think about what you and I share and I think how sad I am for them that they don't know the same unconditional, unwavering, and omnipotent love that you and I have.
I loved you long before I admited it to you, I loved you long before we said "I do" and I'll love you long beyond any modern measurement of time can allow.
With each passing day, each passing year, I grow to know you, respect you, understand you, and therefore love you more and more and ever more.
And that is why I say,
Today, more than yesterday, yet only half as much as tomorrow, I love you!


XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

One small step

I just read this from the ACLU website
" NEW YORK – In a unanimous decision, a New York appellate court today ruled that marriages of same-sex couples entered into outside of New York must be recognized. The case, filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union, is the first appellate court decision in the state and the first known decision in the country to hold that a valid same-sex marriage must be recognized here." This is a monumental moment for my community! " Unanimous decision"... That makes me smile. This means that without contest, the New York appellate court agrees that a marriage such as mine and Macey's is equally worthy of the same rights and protections as my mom and dad's. As it stands today, here in Tennessee, our marriage is not even worth the paper that the license is printed on. We flew all the way to Canada, we went to Niagara Falls City Hall and got a license and then we went to a chapel and had our wedding by an ordained minister. Just like thousands of heterosexual couples do every year. Unlike them, our marriage meant nothing to the state or to the federal government once we crossed the border back into the USA. We can't file taxes jointly. Macey can't add me to her insurance policy. We can't even join the YMCA or adopt a kid as a couple. I am going uninsured until my coverage kicks in with the new job. This can be devastating with a chronic, sometimes debilitating, potentially life threatening condition like mine. It certainly is risky. Without the assistance of insurance, my anti-seizure medicine alone can cost close to $300.00 a month for just one prescription. I thought ahead and filled my Rx before my old insurance expired. Luckily my new insurance will go into effect before I need another refill. But if I have a grand mal and hurt myself or go into status epilepticus before I am insured again, the trip to the ER could be devastating to my savings account. Sure, much needed legislation to stop the drug companies from raping us over our meds would be a huge step in the right direction, along with ensuring that every American has access to affordable health care... but that takes us into another realm of injustices. Right now I just want to bask in the glory and consider moving to New York where they will recognize and honor the commitment that my wife and I have made and afford us the same rights as our married heterosexual neighbors.
Now, if we can get this implemented on a federal level...