Love Wins.

 

As is my usual weekday habit, I was listening to NPR this morning while getting ready for work.  Like the majority of our country, I knew that the Supreme Court's decision regarding same sex marriage nation-wide was imminent and listened intently to the commentary on the radio before leaving for the office.

A few hours later, looking online to check the weather for the weekend, I saw the first headline: "Supreme Court Ruling Makes Same-Sex Marriage A Right."  Immediately, a weight lifted from my shoulders.  They did it, I thought to myself.  They finally did it. 

Then I logged onto social media.  And I couldn't help but break into a grin as I read post after joyful post among people that I adore and love and am so proud to have in my life exclaiming joyfully over the news.  We did it, I thought to myself.  We did it. 

In my life there have been a few grand, sweeping moments where I feel like the entire city I call home, sometimes the entire country I am proud to call my own, is on the same page; moments when our nation's collective consciousness seem to all just get it.  Sometimes it's good - the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Red Sox finally winning the World Series in 2004 after 86 years, Obama's election in 2008, our city's triumphant Boston Strong unification after the marathon bombing.  More often though it's sad and appalling - the Challenger explosion, Columbine, September 11th, the Newtown massacre. 

Today, June 26th, 2015, was a good one.  A great one.

Love is love. This has been the statement echoed repeatedly throughout the day - in hashtags and on blogs, in the streets, among friends and colleagues, shared in messages near and far.  Love is, always and simply, love. As one of my friends stated: "Gay marriage in all 50 states! Perhaps now, we can just start calling it 'marriage.'"

Political agendas completely aside, I think it has long been time for us humans, us people that walk this vast and amazing planet, to stop analyzing our differences and pointing out what separates us from one another.  Instead I think we need to look at all that brings us together, to realize all the common bonds, wants, needs, and desires we all share in our being.  How much we all need one another; how clearly we are all in this together.

Love is love.

I have long held and loved the notion that Martin Luther King Jr. so eloquently expressed years ago. It is an idea I carry in my heart daily, words I keep close to the vest:
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

Because love wins.
In the end, love always, always wins.
Just as it should.

Congratulations, America.