I’m really torn today. I started to write a light and silly piece about Puxatawny Phil seeing his shadow yesterday, and how there are numerous other rodent forecasters throughout the eastern seaboard who disagree with his prediction.

I really got into the alliterative names of all the other groundhogs popping up in the newsfeed to assert when spring will arrive. (I have it on good authority that spring arrives on March 21, which is 6 or so weeks from February 2, no matter how you slice it.)

But then as I mucked around inside CNN and Yahoo News and other top spots for specific data to site, I tripped over another news item that brought me to tears in just the first couple paragraphs. Happy tears.

At the bottom of one page, beneath the link to “Will NY Mayor Bloomberg get bit again?,” referring to an unfortunate groundhog incident in 2009, I happened to chance upon “Washington State approves gay marriage.” I clicked on the link and was greeted by picture of enthusiastic supporters in the Washington State Senate gallery.

Scanning the article, I saw that the bill passed the Senate 28 to 21, the House is expected to pass it, and that Governor Gregoire is expected to sign it. That will make Washington state the 7th in the nation to make it legal for gays to wed.

I’m not gay, but this historic moment touches me deeply. It’s only right, it’s only fair, and in my opinion, the other 43 states need to get their butts on board. Whether spring comes early or late this year, I believe we all have cause to celebrate something good today.

Puxatawny Phil notwithstanding.