Times Two: Two Women In Love and the Happy Family They Made

Every once in awhile, I love a good love story. Even better though, is a story about two polar opposites that find each other and somehow make it all work out. It seems that most of the people I know in long term relationships “started out” as opposites. Some have since met in the middle, some go on their merry way just as they were but getting along just fine.

My wife and I couldn’t be more different. This is both a constant sense of wonder for me and, often, it brings me great amusement. For her, on the other hand, it can be annoying. Many times, she doesn’t get why I see things the way I do and not the way that she does. I’ll remind her then that my view isn’t wrong; it’s just different. We’re learning to work together and compromise…it’s a process.

Kristen Henderson and Sarah Ellis are a lesbian couple where the adage, “opposites attract” is also very true. Kristen is a founding member of the touring all girl rock band Antigone Rising and Sarah is a publishing industry executive. They found each other and fell madly in love. It would be a good story if it was just about their lives before they met and about how they met and how they live with each other. The story only begins there though.

Kristen and Sarah decided they wanted to start a family together. They determine that Sarah should get pregnant first while Kristen finishes work on an important CD (23 Red) for the still very independent band that’s not signed to a major label. Fertility treatments aren’t working for Sarah so Kristen decides to try too. Guess what happens? Both women get pregnant at the same time!

Guess what else happens? They both realize they have very different ideas about pregnancy, child birth and child rearing…who would’a thunk it? On top of it all, they both have large, well intentioned families that want to be involved with everything.

As with any family, with the pregnancies and the births, their lives change forever. Throw being a lesbian couple and total opposites into the mix along with their families and you have a recipe for a great story. Their collaboration on their book, Times Two: Two Women in Love and the Happy Family They Made, is a fantastic effort. You’ll laugh at loud and possibly even cry as you read this page turner.

The book does cover the issues they had with fertility treatments and also the issues they face as a gay couple raising a family especially with regards to legal issues. There’s a lot here to take from even if you don’t care so much for the “love story” aspect of the book.

The thing that I like best about the book is that they each tell their own story. Sections are labeled Kristen or Sarah throughout the book. In the beginning, before they met, this is for the obvious reasons. After they meet the device is, I think, even more effective because it showcases their differing – and similar – points of view on the same subjects.

I enjoyed this book and I recommend it. I also jumped on Amazon and gave a listen to the recently released Antigone Rising album, 23 Red. I enjoyed what I heard there. I’m going to pick up the CD (yes, I still buy those) and give it a good listen. I think I may have found some more “new to me” music to love.