Today’s beautiful thing is the sweet/sad relationship between gay seniors, Chris and Richard, and their final weeks together.The couple met 11 years ago at a mixer for gay seniors and have been together ever since.   They’re very different people, and the article linked below resonates with their individual voices.   Reading the beautifully-written piece by the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, I was struck by the fact that Florida has a surprising quantity of resources available to gay and lesbian seniors in spite of, or perhaps because of, the fact that Florida doesn’t recognize same-sex marriages.

My wife and I have been talking of late about someday buying something in a warmer clime to live in during New York’s colder months, but we don’t dare even consider a state where our relationship isn’t legally acknowledged. We’ve worked too hard and waited too long to take such a giant step backward.  Losing someone to cancer (or to anything) is hard enough without having to wonder every time you meet a new medical professional whether they will respect your relationship and allow you full access to your spouse, not to mention the potential legal ramifications.

There’s a video of their story in their own words, but I haven’t been able to make myself watch it yet. Here’s the article:

http://interactive.sun-sentinel.com/lgbt-dying-couple/