A Weekend of Mixed Emotions

So much going on in the last few days, it truly has been a weekend of mixed emotions....

It actually started Thursday evening. My best friend's father passed away, after several weeks of hospitals and finally hospice. She called me Thursday evening to give me the news, and then to ask if I could drive her niece to the Quad Cities. Her niece doesn't have a car, and her friends could get her to me in Iowa City, but not all the way to Davenport. So, at 10pm, off we drove to get the niece to her family. Can I tell you, there is a great deal of traffic on Interstate 80 at midnight! Who knew?

On Friday, the Iowa Supreme Court handed down their decision about gay marriage, and unanimously voted that banning gay marriage is unconstitutional. This is so exciting and monumental and wonderful. And not as surprising for Iowa as you might think. Iowa, after all, was one of the first states to abolish slavery, end segregation in schools, and lift the ban on interracial marriage. This is just another example of the leadership the state of Iowa takes in Civil Rights. I've been proud of being an Iowan for quite some time (I've lived her longer now than I lived in Illinois) but now even more so! Hopefully we will become an example for the rest of the country.

This is the roller coaster I've been riding all weekend. That, plus a very happy birthday celebration for Dan, and I've spent time very sad for my friend and jubilant for the stand Iowa has taken. It's been a little bit intense, but that's life, right?