To Love and To Cherish: an anthology of lesbian love and marriage (print)

Marriage (Marry) - To unite intimately. The act of taking as an intimate life partner by a formal exchange of promises. Equality (Equal) - Evenly proportioned or balanced, like or alike in quantity, degree, value, etc.; of the same rank, ability, merit. When I consider marriage, and love, two chief sources come to mind. The Bible, and The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. In the former it is defined as leaving one's childhood home and cleaving to one another only. In the latter the prophet expresses it, "You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore." Both are spiritual texts, and romantic. And both mention nothing of laws. When conception of this project began, the title immediately sprang forth, "To Love and To Cherish". This simple yet profound statement purposely evokes the importance of the marriage vows and we, the women of SapphicPlanet, hope it speaks to the equality of same gender committed relationships in comparison to heterosexual ones. Being married, whether one is queer or straight, is all about security, protection, and forming a safe haven for both partners to grow and love and add to the family that surrounds them. The fourteen stories in this collection invite the reader in to share the joy, laughter, angst and passion of women in love that are committed to building a future together. Who hasn't suffered the perils of planning the perfect proposal only to have it all fall apart? Such is the hilarity to follow in author Stephanie Rose's "The Anti-Proposal." What about executing the wedding of your dreams? If you thought you had interfering mothers-in-law, check out who gets involved in "My Big Fat Greek Pagan Lesbian Wedding" by Adrianne Brennan. Finally there are every day moments when we show our commitment to one another, like the tending of hearth and home in Adriana Kraft's "Embracing the Fire."