Life as Amber knows it

We live in a fucked up world.

Last week, my father-in-law was watching the news, and walking through our living room to get another cup of coffee before going back to the piece I was writing, I overheard the newscaster announce that the Pope made the faux paus of dialing a telephone in the Vatican without the aid of a secretary.

I might be wrong, since I was so furious my memory is tinged in red, but I think what came out of my mouth upon hearing that was, “Are you fucking kidding me?!”

We live in a world where there is a war going on at all times. We live in a world where people take a gun into an elementary school and kill children and teachers. We live in a world where people hatefully judge one another based on skin color, size, religious beliefs, and heritage. We live in a world where I have to explain to my eight-year-old daughter why the date September 11 is remembered.

Last week at my favorite coffee shop with a friend, I watched one of my favorite waitresses, Christine,  interacting with a customer, and it was fairly obvious there was interest on both sides. After the customer left, I mentioned to Christine that her friend clearly found her attractive. “I think she likes you!” I said in a sing-song voice, and Christine laughed. “No seriously!” I said. “Chicks don’t do this,” and I lowered my lashes coquettishly in example, “unless they’re diggin’ on you. Trust me, I know.” Christine laughed, but the way her eyes sparkled totally made my day.

Because I had just witnessed joy, the possibility of love, and bliss in a split second in my friend’s eyes.

I’ve seen and experienced hurt and heartache more times than I care to admit. And I’ve seen and experienced it far too much that if seeing the first blushes of love is what stands out as a rarity in my day to day life as opposed to being the norm?  That right there shows the problem.

With the recent bombardment of Marriage Equality, my back hair is up. I’m pissed off, I’m angry, I’m seeing red. Because the world we live in is filled with so much negative. Why is it that one of the last things in the world that is positive, love, being confined and boxed in with rules and what is and is not right?

Fuck that.

In this world that is so filled with anger, hatred and loss, why does it matter if two men or two women want to marry? Why is it so necessary to state what’s right and what’s wrong?

I’m not going to do either. What I am going to do is state how I feel: the only two people who have a say in a relationship are the two people in it. And I hope like hell that in this world we live in where there is so much hurt and heartache, my children find the person that fits them and will love them unconditionally. And if my daughters give me daughters-in-laws and my son gives me a son-in-law? Thank you God for blessing my children with life partners who complete them and love them unconditionally.

~Amber Jerome~Norrgard