For my money and in my life, perhaps the greatest love story ever told existed between my parents. It's the stuff made of legend
My Mother was a flower child of the 1960's, with love in her heart and rebellion in her mouth, she took up any cause. She embraced the times whole heartedly, calling out for justice, fairness and peace in times of chaos, corruption and fear.
My father was a different kind of man. He was a musical prodigy and science wiz who never gave himself enough credit. Floundering a bit after high school he found his calling in the United States Air Force. There he discovered the beauty and peace of routine, discipline and very early mornings.
I'm sure from any outsider’s perspective it seemed that ne'er the two shall meet. Fate and God thought differently and meet they did. A persistent man my father, wouldn't take no for an answer. He succeeded in scoring a date by wooing my grandmother, offering the opportunity to see John Denver - well what girl could refuse when faced with pressure from Mom and the chance to see the heartthrob of the times.
They were married shortly after my Dad completed the academy and into the Air Force life my flower child mother went. She did this without compromising who she was, and my Dad loved and respected this in her. I don't know much of the early years as for some I wasn't around and for the others well I was just waking up to the world.
What I can remember clearly is that every struggle that came our way - my parents met face on. Fear was not a word they let enter their minds, maybe behind closed doors in brief acknowledgment but when face to face with adversity they knew their armor of love would protect them.
For close to 30 years, this was the way of things in this Ritz household. There were so many times that life seemed to knock us down, but we held fast to each other because that has always gotten us through. Whether is was moving all over the world, changing schools, losing jobs, struggling to support a family - there was always a moment at the end of hard or easy days where my parents hands would clasp together and they would utter the mantra: 'It will be OK'.....and it always was.
Perhaps the biggest challenge we faced was in 2003 when my father, a strong, vibrant, loving man was diagnosed with cancer. Esophageal - stage 3. Again, the hands clasped, it would be OK. The truest testament of love I'd ever seen. Two people who had loved and laughed for years bravely grabbed hands and faced the unknown future.
My Dad passed away in 2004 about a year from being diagnosed. For my money and in my life, perhaps the greatest love story ever told existed between my parents.
My parents were a true testament to love, faith, trust, communication, humor, and not taking life so seriously as precious as it is.
In a way I'm spoiled - these are the ideals I hope to have in a relationship.
I came out of the closet as a gay man when I was 17 years old. Having been raised in the Roman Catholic tradition this was a very daunting and scary moment in my life. I was blessed at the time with two amazingly understanding and patient parents. Though it wasn't always easy, they knew that who I loved was not a choice, but part of who I am. They also understood that when it comes from a place of love, there is no wrong.
I was also blessed with an amazing guy who was my first boyfriend. Together we traversed the trickiness of coming out at a young age and reconciling that fact with our upbringing. We realized that coming out didn't have to close doors for us. We could still live the kind of lives that our parents did. Loving. We could raise children. It was not wrong to love one another because after all it was love.
While doing what I can to be active in the debate surrounding marriage equality I think of a few things. I think of my first boyfriend who is now married to the man he loves, they have a baby girl - dreams are possible. I think of my mother and my father's hospital bedside. I think that no matter the ending happy or sad it's the journey that counts.
I want my story to be a continuation of the love I encountered early in my life. I want to be able to have a child should I choose and not have to worry about who has rights to it (my parents did not have this worry). I want to be able to sit freely at the bedside of my partner should it come to that and not worry about whether I'll be able to keep the home that we share (my parents did not have this worry).
For my money and in my life, perhaps the greatest love story ever told existed between my parents. I want mine to be next
