Even with the questions and the additional pressure, we realize our daughter was born in an amazing time.
As part of our Blended Family Friday series, each week we're spotlighting a different stepfamily to learn how they successfully blended their two fami...
The first time I heard Ben say "Mama," all of my dreams came true. I had arrived. All the years of second-guessing and thinking that I would not be a good parent were over.
If I had been an upper middle-class, able-bodied, U.S. born white girl with heterosexual parents, perhaps I would not dread going to my classes that are filled with bullies and racial microaggressions, and I would be able to fully concentrate on my studies.
The wedding went off without a hitch and, over the years, dissolved into a silly and cherished family memory. At that very time, unbeknownst to me, my moms were forking over time, energy and legal fees to make their union and joint custody of me as legal in the eyes of the court as a married couple's.
Now that I'm blogging about growing up with two mommies, a friend of mine recently asked me, "Did you ever think you might be a lesbian, since that's the lifestyle you knew from home?" Obviously I have to answer this one with a story.
Whether or not to have kids is surely a dealbreaker question between couples, but what about how many kids to have?
In his recent State of the Union address, our commander-in-chief promised, "We will ensure equal treatment for all service members, and equal benefits for their families, gay and straight." I chafe at "families, gay and straight." What is a gay family? For that matter, what is a straight family?
"Who's the real mother?" I have been asked that question many times -- too many times. But this time was different. I was at a doctor's office, and my son was standing next to me and knew exactly what the nurse was asking.
While matters of gender and biology may be relevant to making a child, it is parenting that makes a parent. The ability and the desire to love a child unconditionally has nothing to do with one's gender.
As the 20th anniversary of what my family calls "Adoption Day" came and went this spring, I have been thinking about the promising changes in society's attitudes toward families like ours and relationships like my moms'. The promise of the future, however, is not without some peril.
Melanie's husband died suddenly at 35, leaving her to care for their three sons, ages 8, 4, and 10 months. She had no family nearby. Turns out, she had something just as valuable: A network of friends.
My parents, once so concerned about Sophie's welfare, long ago realized that she is one blessed little girl. She has more family in her life, more people to love her and love on her, and more people to turn to than most girls her age.
Our children know that for a few months in 2008, the law said "yes" to their family. Their moms are legally married (in California, at least). This legal recognition echoes and enforces what their moms and their community keep telling them: that we should be treated equally.
