Yesterday was World AIDS Day, and I didn't even mention it on this site. I believe it's because it's always been a reflective day for me...and it's always a bit painful. I grew up with many gay men around me as my mother was a flight attendant in the 70s and 80s. All of these men became my uncles/sometimes aunts. Alan was my mom's closest male friend and my favorite of them all. We would go on day trips with him to the city to shop or see theater (he took me to see my first B'Way musical Annie). He also would come over and cook meals when my mom was too tired from her trips...or when she was in the hospital for one of her numerous operations. Needless to say almost all of these men my mom flew with, including Alan, have died from HIV/AIDS. I, personally, have lost 2 close friends and have a few more who are currently diagnosed with it. In other words, it's definitely affected me.
My thought is this (and trust me it's not an original thought, but one that bears repeating): Not only should we pray for those afflicted with this disease, but we should educate those who are either uneducated about it or are just ignorant to it.
The man who gave me the most inpiration in my own life died of AIDS, but before left us he decided that he would teach the most important people in the world about this life threatening virus. He went on a one-man quest to teach children what AIDS has done to many peoples's lives and will continue to do to other lives. He did this by making coloring books for children, writing children's books, painting children's wings in hospitals and talking to kids about the disease he had living inside of him. For this, I honour Keith Haring.
I have a lot of hope that a cure will be found...and when it is found, Alan and Keith will smile upon us all.
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