Nebraska father in same-sex marriage: 'Today, our family is equal, our family matters'

[Omaha Steve]

Nickolas Kramer (left) and husband, Jason Cadek, pose with their 3-year-old daughter, Alice.



http://www.omaha.com/momaha/nebraska-father-in-same-sex-marriage-today-our-family-is/article_0ba3b744-c0ef-11e4-92e0-c74c9659fb49.html

POSTED: MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015 9:25 AM
By Nickolas Kramer / momaha guest blogger

Today is the second best day of my life. I have had some great days, but having your family recognized in the eyes of the law is validating. We are just like all other families. We deserve love, respect and protection. This emotional journey has been taxing, but rewarding.

It reminds me of when I sent out birth announcements shortly after Alice was born. Very few people knew she was on the way. Several days later I received a phone call from my grandmother. She congratulated us and said that she could not wait to meet our "family." To have the person I respect most call us a "family" was an emotional moment, very much like this one.

My husband and I work very hard to teach our 3-year-old daughter, Alice, the important things that she will need to know to be a self-sufficient toddler. Things like: how to share, how to say please and thank you, and when it is appropriate to break out into a Cher song. We want her to know that she is the same as all other kids. At our house we play a little game at dinner. We go around the table and we all say our names and then we ask Alice what we are? It goes like this: “Alice, Daddy, Papa and we are? A family.”

I used to live in fear of that day when someone would come up to us in public and berate me for being a gay man daring to raise a child. I used to have daydreams of standing next to someone at a store and debating the merits of good parenting. I memorized a handful of quotes, bible verses and great one-liners so that I could debate anyone that questioned the validity my family.

FULL story at link.

[ck4829]

1. What a wonderful family.

[Cha]

2. Sweet!