On today's radio show, it was really cool to talk about the gay marriage movement. Until 2004, no states recognized same sex marriages. Now, 6 states permit gay marriages, including: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, NY, and Vermont. My adopted hometown, DC also now recognizes this union between same sex couples, and it seems Maryland is soon on its way to joining us!The right to marry is such a fundamental right-- and it has major legal significance in someone's life. It impacts a person's ability to social security benefits, veteran benefits, Medicaid, hospital visits, family leave, retirement interests, estate claims, and even immigration status. To deny someone the right to marry someone of the same sex grossly prejudices that person's right to equal treatment under the law and due process. It certainly impairs that person's ability to pursue his/her happiness, and honestly it seems grossly unfair that in this day and age 41 states can continue to have statutes or constitutional amendments specifying that they won't recognize gay marriage--- even when over 50% of the U.S. population is in favor of permitting them this right.Just to be clear- no state is going to obligate a church or any clergy members to perform a marriage they don't agree with-- what the gay marriage movement is trying to accomplish is recognition of [...]

For some people, labels are important-- they want to know where they stand in a relationship and somehow having a title seems to provide some comfort for them. I am not big no labels, except for perhaps 1) fiance, 2) spouse or 3) partner, which signify a real long-term commitment. Short of those three terms, what difference does it make if you get introduced as a friend or boyfriend? Isn't it understood by those that see you together expressing some sort of affection? Once you have had the exclusivity talk, what about using the term FWEB (friends with exclusive benefits)? Perhaps my hang up is that a true boyfriend/girlfriend relationship is one where you both get each other- you understand how the other person thinks, how they will react to certain things, their likes/dislikes, how they handle conflict and communicate when things are difficult. All of this takes time, and this timeframe will obviously vary depending on the frequency with which you see someone. Demonstrating a genuine interest in getting to know someone is not something you can fake, and once you achieve that comfort level, it is not that easy to just walk away. To me, that is when one can really merit the title of boyfriend/girlfriend. But that is just my opinion, and everyone has a different definition. [...]

This past weekend, for the first-time ever, I strapped on a pair of skis and went down a snow-covered mountain. I was not allowed to do this when I was younger, because no one wanted me to risk an injury while competing nationally as a gymnast. Years later, I decided I was not much of a cold weather person, and as the years past it just never really occurred to me do try skiing-- until now. Turns out my son loves the snow, loves the cold, and seems to have no fear. I also have a couple of great friends that enjoy the sport, and they all somehow convinced me to try skiing at 39. It wound up being one of our best trips ever!As a parent, I had prepared myself for the sleepless nights, stinky diapers, sick days, child care issues and educational expenses. What I had not prepared myself for was having to deal with much of this by myself-- I had never contemplated taking my son to Disney or Bethany by myself. Never thought I'd be hooking a worm for him while taking him fishing, climbing a tree to retrieve one of his toys, or wiping out while hurling myself down a mountain, and yet all this and more has become my reality over the last several [...]