Saturday, December 03, 2005

 

World AIDS Day


I can't believe I missed it. December 1, that's when it was.

But truly, every day is AIDS day. For anyone who has ever lost a friend or family member to this disease, there is no day that you ever, ever, forget about it.

I've lost, um, I dunno. I think I stopped counting at fourteen friends. I know people who have lost dozens. At some point we stop counting.

And we never forget.

If you have ever nursed a friend to the end, and watched a man barely in his forties vomit his life out into a blue plastic bowl for weeks on end ... no. No, you don't forget.

One day isn't enough.

(And wasn't this supposed to be a humour and ranting and knitting blog? Oh well, I've been serious twice this week, madness will start again tomorrow, I promise.)

But one day isn't enough. And one life is too many.

I dream of the day when people say "remember when ..." and it's a historical discussion, just like smallpox.

And so on this, late late AIDS day on this blog, I would like to remember my best friend, Martin. Come January he'll have been dead 11 years. I still have his ashes in a box. He's still my best friend. I haven't found another one yet.




I miss you, dude. And you didn't have to die two days before my birthday; you could have just told me you didn't have a present that year. I would have understood.

Rilly. Some people will do anything to avoid shopping.

Comments:
*HUGS*
 
You have such a large heart. Martin lives on in your heart and your memories. I'm sad that you miss him so.
 
Thanks for that reminder about every day being AIDS day ... my son has AIDS, discovered it by being hospitalized with pneumonia while I was in Iraq. Didn't want to tell me, 'cause he didn't want to stress me out when I was in a war zone. Sigh. Due to good drugs is doing well, but ... it hurts just to think about it. Anyway, thanks.
Tamsen
 
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