Love is Love.
Today marks my 7th wedding anniversary to my husband Bob. As I wake up and reminisce, it seems like it was only yesterday. June 15, 2013 at eleven in the morning to be exact, we tied the knot at the beautiful Harding Allen Estate in Massachusetts.
I could say that our story was not a walk in the park as we have faced many challenges along the way. The long distance, the language barrier, the difference in cultural backgrounds to name a few. But being gay and being part of the LGBTQ community perhaps was the biggest hurdle we had. Our family and friends know the ordeal of our story; on how difficult the pursuit of happiness in the land of the free as a gay person.
To some that barely know us, Bob and I met sixteen years ago when marriage equality was still a discussion in this country. At that time, being in love is not enough for us to get married. Because of the then Defense of Marriage Act Law (which defined as marriage only between man and woman), we can’t just walk down the aisle and live under one roof like any man and woman that share the same love. Instead, ours was threatened to come to an end because of what the law said and not what our hearts dictate. Not being born from the US soil made it more difficult in my end so we kept our relationship on the down low. With faith and love, our patience came into fruition when the stars aligned together for us in 2013- the year that the US Supreme Court granted same sex the equal rights to marriage. Surrounded by family and great friends, we said, “I do.”
That was seven years ago. Looking back at the picture as a whole, our marriage will not be possible if not for the collective efforts initiated by Human Rights and Marriage Equality fighting for what is lawfully right to every citizen of this country. Marriage equality for everyone regardless of sex, gender and ethnic origin. But mostly, we may never made it if one of us gave less effort or had given up fighting to make our hopes and dreams become reality. In the end, love always wins.
Happy Anniversary to my husband and Happy Pride Month to our LGBTQ family!!!❤️🌈❤️🌈
Sunset at Old Pier at the River Walk. Sanford, FL. 06-08-2020
This long exposure photo taken after a heavy rain depicts tranquility and calmness of the water after the storm. Similar to what we’ve been through in the last sixteen years as a gay couple. I would like to think that the old pier was like our relationship that is able to weather al the elements that came through. The sunset is the beautiful reward after the storm.