Marriage and Commitment

Pundits and analysts are actively working over yesterday's statement by President Obama that "same-sex couples should be able to get married." It was calculated! It was a cynical attempt to recoup lost demographics he needs to get elected! He just wants to motivate a lackluster base!  Read more >

I really loved being married. I loved finally being with Aaron all the time. But at the same time, I was sad. I went from a little two-bedroom house a few miles from one of my best friends, and a short twenty-minute back road commute to a job where I was valued and appreciated; close, loving friendships; an active volunteering schedule; and a church community that was my heart's home to a strange new place. And it was hard.  Read more >

He and I don't feel cherished because of the flowers he sends, the meals he makes or the little gifts that I get him. It's about the time we spend arranging those flowers in a vase, sharing those meals, and playing with those little gifts. Valentine's Day isn't about stuff and it shouldn't be. It should be about reminding ourselves that our relationships matter.  Read more >

My mom watches Good Morning America, affectionately known by the acronym GMA, every day. Living away from home has made me miss it and all its ridiculousness; while the first five minutes are devoted to actual news, the rest is made up of trendy lifestyle pieces like this one, about a woman and two men in a polyamorous relationship. Unlike the Browns of TLC's Sister Wives, Jaiya Ma, Jon Hanauer, and Ian Ferguson are not in a polygamous relationship. My thoughts on this kind of living situation are mixed. If there weren't a child involved, I would have no problems with it at all.  Read more >

Last year marked my ten-year wedding anniversary. I love the legal protections of marriage -- no one argues that my husband can't visit me in the hospital or shouldn't be able to pick something up for me or inherit my money. I love the psychological aspect of marriage, too -- but it's the LEGAL aspect of marriage that ups the ante societally from living together. The legal aspect is also the part that I think we should change: We should have marital term limits.  Read more >