This week’s submission to the Science of Kissing Gallery features a special story that makes me smile. Steve Silberman is a science writer for Wired and other magazines, and his husband Keith is a middle-school science teacher in the Bay Area. This kiss took place during their marriage, which Steve describes in his piece Happily Ever After featured in the Shambhala Sun. Here’s an excerpt:

Suddenly Keith and I found ourselves at the flash point of a raging culture war. Did we have to call it marriage? Wasn’t that an unnecessary provocation for those who take that word to mean getting to the church on time? What about framing our commitment with a less confrontational term like “civil union?”

Certain words, however, have alchemical power. A humble noun or verb can become a transformative mantra. Embracing the word “marriage” had a subtle but profound effect on our relationship, like unlocking a door to a secret garden that only other married people know about. Now our job was to care for that garden together—to nourish it, weed it when necessary, and give it the compassion and space it needs to grow and flourish.

Read the full piece–and happy ending–here. Congratulations Steve and Keith!

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