If I was a girl in middle school, I'd dance with him."

There are moments that I witness between our two children that lead me to conclude Donna and I are doing something right. I sometimes joke that Hunter and Skye can use their college fund to pay for therapy later in life. However, a moment last night showed that perhaps they're going to be just fine.

Hunter is getting ready for an 8th grade dinner/dance. It's a formal affair, so he needs a suit and we went out last night to buy it. Because it's such an important event and we want it to be full of positive memories for him, we were making sure that he was happy with the suit he selected and the shirt and tie he chose to wear with it. You could say we were being a bit overbearing, because Skye piped in at one point and said, "Listen, if I was a girl in middle school, I'd dance with him." Well, that statement promptly put an end to the nagging and a start to the lump in my throat.

My pride and joy

Hunter smiled at her and thanked her for the compliment and I hung back a bit to share the moment with Donna. We were both so proud. Our kids are growing up so fast! I look at my son and he's standing eye to eye with me now. It seems that it was only last week that he fit in my arms so perfectly. His peach fuzz-covered head was in the palm of my hand and his tiny feet reached the crook of my arm. Now, he's interested in cars and girls and dressing like he should be in GQ Magazine.

And more often these days, our children are enjoying each others company, rather than antagonizing each other and driving their moms to drink!  I suppose that if we're lucky enough, our siblings do become friends. I know that Donna and I feel that way about our respective brothers and that's really what drove us to want to have more than one child. The bond we share with our own siblings is something we wanted for Hunter and Skye.

So, as I hear propaganda about how children raised by same-sex parents are at risk (of what, I'm not sure), it's great to see how our kids are showing compassion, sensitivity and an ability to articulate their feelings. I'm so proud of our family and the support we give each other. My family is my safe harbor. Given the moments that I've been able to blog about, I believe Donna, Hunter and Skye would echo that sentiment.

I'm grateful that my parents still love each other."

A couple of friends and family have inquired why it's been so long since my last post. There are a myriad of reasons, largely having to do with my day job at IBM, but enough about all that. I hope this entry gains me the forgiveness of my readers and encourages me to blog more regularly.

Recently, my family spent a lovely Sunday in Manhattan. Skye and Donna attended the Spring Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall and Hunter and I enjoy brunch together and nice conversation as we walked along the waterfront near the Freedom Tower. After the show finished, we all met up in Greenwich Village and had dinner at one of my favorite diners, The Hudson. We finished our evening with a walk along the waterfront near Christopher Street.

Love and commitment caught on camera

As we were driving back home, Donna's phone alerted her that she received a text. It was from Hunter, who was in the backseat of the car. He had taken a picture of us holding hands. Donna asked him later why he took it. He explained that he loved seeing us showing that kind of affection because it meant we still loved each other. He went on to share that a lot of his friends' parents are divorced or have relationship issues and it's nice to see his parents are still happily married.

His observation certainly touched our hearts. It also reminds me that our children don't miss a beat when it comes to relationships and how we move through the world. What we do is so important, because it either reinforces or undermines what we say. Of course, this reminder is not exclusive to LGBT families, but when I hear so much negativity in the media about the dangers of children being raised by same-sex parents and certain states still holding out hate instead of hope when it comes to same-sex marriage, it's a blessing to hear positive feedback about our marriage, especially when it comes from our 13-year old son.

Hunter appreciates that our love is long-lasting and has stood the test of time. On May 27th, we will celebrate 15 years together. We have weathered a few storms during that time, but we never stopped fighting for what we have. I wish the rest of the nation could see us and families like ours from Hunter's vantage point. Perhaps then we'd finally have marriage equality nationwide without the necessity for a Supreme Court ruling. Until then, I'll take refuge with my beautiful family and appreciate the abundance of love we share.