Living & Dying

I have learned a lot about life from from friends living with HIV. I usually became teary eyed when I remember my first friend with HIV/AIDS, who died shortly after speaking to her mother on the telephone to say good- bye.

Having worked with people living with HIV and their families since 2000, and during this time, more than 10 of my friends have died. I have watched people struggle and cope with their illness. And in turn, have learned more about myself and the human condition.

Once you face the trauma of AIDS, all your other problems are put into perspective. Aids can strike us anywhere. I've seen my friends -- people at their rawest -- with everything stripped away from them. But that time after the HIV diagnosis, the time they have and what they chose to do with their relationships, has helped me see --as humans -- how we can reach each other.