There is a secret in my family. My maternal grandaunt is gay. I know that now being gay is not such an issue but in her day it was. She lives with her 'friend' in a grand old house that belonged to her mother. Her 'friend' is a professional decorator and their house is a show piece. Of course there were never little kids running around that weren't on a leash. When you meet them they are like to old friends, laughing and sharing old stories of long ago when they both worked for the utility company. They both retired and have a pension, I am sure that it is not as great as it could be, but unlike our generation they have a pension.

Once she told me about her 'life', meaning her feelings for her friend. She ended it with a statement that there is nothing you can do about how the stars line up for you. She touched my hand and told me that she never had a close encounter with the wrong kind, meaning men and she never missed it. If I liked it so be it, those were my stars, but hers, well they lined up and pointed to her friend.

There are lots of old pictures she has in a shoe box in her closet. She told me that when she died she wanted me to find one of the two of them and put it in her obituary, and make a statement that they have lived a long life together. My grandaunt and her friend turned 90 this year, they have been together over 65 years.