Pride



 Yesterday morning, after TV time Coen asked me what we were going to do that day.

"I was thinking about Pride Fest." I said.

"Pride Fest? Is that the one with the huge playground?"  Coen asked.

"Yeah, it's on the Summerfest grounds with the huge playground."

"YES!" He said jumping up. "Let's do THAT today!"

I rarely these days get this enthusiastic of a response from him so I was all about it.

 

We took our bikes in the minivan and parked at my office.   On the ride there, I explained what Pride Fest was about.  I explained mine and Tad's belief in marriage equality and that it's okay to be whoever you are.  But for Coen and Lucy, it's not really a groundbreaking conversation. It's been part of our conversation since they were born. Of course women can love women and men can love men...duh.....is basically what Coen had to say.  But as we talked about civil rights and equality, Lucy said, "That's what Martin Lufer King did, right?"  I smiled back at my kids. 

With Coen behind me on his bike and Lucy in the trailer, we rode down to the festival.  After locking up our bikes in the parking area, we got in line to buy tickets.  Immediately a couple came over to us and offered their tickets for free. 

"Whoah!" I said. "This is the best day ever!"

"It's a good day." Lucy said, ever keeping it real, "But not the BEST."  

Coen and Lucy went happily off to the playground as soon as we got in the grounds.  Lucy got a balloon which was, as she called it, a heart on a handle.  We got ice cream cones. We walked around the info booths and got a free hug. (Well, Coen and I got a free hug. Lucy was not interested.)

After we bored of the playground, we went over to the parade route, meeting up with some of my friends.

Lucy, Coen and I sat on the street and watched the parade.

Lucy turned to me. "I didn't know it was going to be THIS much fun!"

They got lots of candy and other handouts (though I gave the condoms they caught to the guys standing behind us) and Lucy got a huge bouquet of paper flowers from a woman who didn't want them anymore. 

 

After the parade was over, we biked back to the van and headed home.  Once there, Lucy ran over to see our next door neighbor who asked where she'd been.

"Well..." I waited as Lucy launched into her explanation to listen, "It was like a fair but with lots of rainbows. And people talking about love."  She paused, "...And God."

 

Pretty right on, Lucy.