Blessed by Massachusetts

I’m back! Married, deeply thankful for the many blessings that were showered on me over the past two weeks by my family and friends — not least David, who presided over the nuptials, and Charley, who shepherded this lively band entirely on his own (and lit up the airwaves to boot). Thank you also to the many friends who offered congratulations in the comments to David’s piece about the wedding. If anyone wants honeymoon suggestions in Sicily, drop me a line.

The delightful experience of getting hitched made me particularly grateful to be from Massachusetts, where marriage is more valued than anywhere else in this great country. The first reading that we chose for our ceremony was the following from Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health:

Marriage bestows enormous private and social advantages on those who choose to marry. Marriage is at once a deeply personal commitment to another human being and a highly public celebration of the ideals of mutuality, companionship, intimacy, fidelity, and family.  “It is an association that promotes a way of life, not causes;  a harmony in living, not political faiths;  a bilateral loyalty, not commercial or social projects.” [Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)]. Because it fulfills yearnings for security, safe haven, and connection that express our common humanity, marriage is an esteemed institution, and the decision whether and whom to marry is among life’s momentous acts of self-definition.

[Margaret Marshall, Chief Justice, Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. Selection from Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health: decision that established marriage equality in Massachusetts. Boston 4 March 2003].

Finally, I am delighted to see that the bitter, increasingly desperate, Healey-Hillman campaign continues on the road to a solid defeat.

On the one hand Kerry Healey, who applauds and raises money for Dick Cheney; whose partner, Willard Romney, ridicules our Commonwealth at fund-raisers across the country; whose dirty tricks department, in a desperate effort to change the subject from a report that pins responsibility for the CA/Tastrophe on the Romney-Healey team, drags a family into the mud just because the parents are related to their political rival.

On the other hand, Deval Patrick with an exceptional educational record, important positions at the pinnacle of U.S. business, and significant work experience for the federal government. A candidate who proved in his remarkable primary run that he unites rather than divides, builds rather than destroys, and can lead Massachusetts on a path of progress, economic effectiveness, and hope rather than stagnation, job losses, and division. Forza Patrick!

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