World AIDS Day

Thinking about today's post has taken me back to a time when fear ran rampant.  I remember hearing HIV and AIDS for the first time.  It was scary.  It was absolutely terrifying.  The fear of just touching someone and you would get it.  The fear of sitting on a public toilet and contracting it that way (gross in soooo many ways I know).   How about "the only" people who could contract the virus?  Then, shocking news, a 13 year old boy, Ryan White, would be diagnosed with AIDS.  The world was mortified and stunned because he wasn't the atypical person to be diagnosed.

Fast forward a few years.  I was hired on at a national chain restaurant to help open a store in Texas.  Of course, we became family because we were the original hires.  One of my co-workers took myself and another dear friend out to dinner.  He had something to tell us.  It was important and he wanted us to be the first to know.  He wanted to share with us that he was HIV+.  At that time, AZT was just coming onto the scene as the miracle drug.  HIV cocktails were making it's way as well.  The problem, they were extremely expensive.  There was no way, T could pay for them.  All I wanted to do was cry but didn't dare though the fear of his death sentence was immanent.  Shortly after that, T would leave the restaurant.  Though I tried to keep in contact, I have no idea what happened to him.  Life? Death?  I just don't know.  What I do know, is that I never treated him differently.  Not even when the fear of "catching" it through touching, hugging, sharing a drink, etc... was still out there.  .

Now, almost 20 years later, we are still struggling with the same concepts, myths, stigmas.  Why?  We are a country so full of information.  It's literally at our fingertips and yet, we are stuck with information that is outdated?  We would rather live with outdated health information but not an outdated computer that was just bought 2 months ago?  We look for the best stuff electronically but not health wise?  We would rather show prejudice towards someone who is sick, but oh don't you dare!!!  show it towards me if I am the one who is sick?  C'mon now?  It's time to learn the facts.  It's time to act and stop blaming an 8 year old girl for having HIV because she was born in a third world country to a mom who had no chance of receiving ARV at the onset of labor and giving a dose to the child within the first 72 hours of the child's birth. 

I remember seeing pictures of Princess Diana and Mother Theresa touching, feeding, hugging people who were HIV+ and had AIDS. They were the faces of yesterday, who weren't afraid. The faces of today are making their way onto the scene. Like Bono, places like our fav coffee shop *bucks donating money for buying a certain type of drink today, and many others. I have to say my heroes of today are the ones who have brought children into their homes because of the loss of one or both parents. The ones who are living it out day by day and choosing to give life and love to these darlings. Folks like the Twietmeyers and their organization Project Hopeful and The Slonigers and so many others who are fighting for these children.


There are countless kids out there who need our help.  Who need our compassion.  There are mama's who are struggling to keep their children but because of the stigma that is in their own country, they can't find jobs, don't have access to the meds that would save their lives. WE need to change this.  WE need to partner with programs like Project Hopeful and their Hope+Sisterhood program.  My question to you today is this: What are you willing to do to change it?  Learn the truth?  Spread the word?  Support a program?  Adopt a child who is HIV+?  or has AIDS?  You can do something.  Please do. 

At the end of the day, I want to have poured out all of myself for the LORD.  I want to stand before Jesus and say I have nothing else.  I want to hear from MY LORD, "Well done MY good and faithful servant."  But I can't hear that unless I get out of my comfort zone and do what looks impossible for me but is so possible for my GOD!!!

Seeing The World Through His Eyes.
Laurie