World AIDS Day

I feel lucky to be alive during this day and age. Change rises with the sun each morning, and every day seems brighter than the one before. Though we have not found cures for many diseases, those days wait on the horizon. We have made great strides since our first, and one can bet that we will not waver off this path of discovery. New days bring death, but they also bring new life. With new life we see the coming of a new age, an age that may bring the conclusion to AIDS and the like.

Not too long ago AIDS was relatively new to the mass public, and misunderstood. Many people looked at those bearing the burden as freaks, outcasts, infected beings. Most would not speak to them, would not share the same space, would not recognize them as humans. But above the masses were a few understanding persons who embraced this exiled group and welcomed them into friendship.

As a child, like every child, I was a handful. A handful of mischief, mess, and make believe. And as a mother, my mom was a busy woman running her own business and traveling to meet with clients. My dad, also a busy man with his own business, worked hard carving stone mantles, columns, and balusters. With two busy parents, one can see the relief a babysitter would bring from time to time. My mother had many friends, and insisted that one in particular look after me while she and Dad were away. Some of her colleagues gasped and argued that she was endangering her child. The man she had chosen was indeed a victim of AIDS. Other women claimed they would never consider his company for their children, too dear to be put into those infected hands. But my mother has always been intelligent and a free thinker. She ignored the unfriendly banter and handed me over. The feeling of welcome overcast the usual sickness he felt that day, and he thanked her for her trust. This small task meant more to him than a healthy person could ever know. My mom saw past his illness and looked at who he really was, a human no different than you or me. No one should be defined by their abnormalities, and we are all responsible for helping everyone along through their times of suffering, and most importantly ensuring they have uncountable times of happiness.

Many unfortunate things happen during the billions of lives that inhabit this earth. But no matter the infliction, one must always know that they are still part of humanity. To overcome AIDS and other diseases we must understand them, but to understand, we cannot fear.