Last week, I held and cried with. . .

. . . a man who had just lost his husband.

We aren't exactly close, the two of us, and he's a pretty self-contained person and I am not a hugger. But the pain in this quiet man's face was palpable.

I'm a straight, White lady of a certain age and when it comes to my personal life and inclinations, I am very much a lower-case "c" conservative. But it utterly stuns me that anyone can stand outside such heartache and deny the legitimacy and profundity of another person's love and loss.

Opening up one's heart to another is a a frightening challenge in this world today. I applaud anyone with the courage and optimism to look for connection and the patience and tolerance to make a commitment to another human being.

Love is love, indeed.