World AIDS Day

Today, December 1, is World AIDS Day. I do not have any friends or relatives who have had the HIV virus or AIDS, but I do not expect that to last forever. In the same way that I only have a few acquaintances who have had cancer. Life is taking on different shape in terms of health and afflictions. But, what I do know is that whenever a debilitating illness takes hold it seems to separate people: some show amazing fortitude, others wilt like new shoots in the sun. I look at my father battling back in his 80s from a stroke. I look at friends sounding like they are dying when they have a flu. I think of a friend whom my wife said this weekend 'should have been dead 20 years ago' but is now regaining her ability to walk and do without a wheel chair after a brain tumour and various operations.

Those who are ill need very much the support of the healthy. Sick people are too easily condemned--and society used to do that too readily rather than deal with symptoms or even root causes. I thank my lucky stars that none of my children have had any major congenital diseases. I pray that life will continue so that all of my family has the kind of illnesses that can be easily treated or cured. But, I also hope that when a friend of mine tells me that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer or HIV or multiple sclerosis, or a man friend says he has colon cancer that I can stand up and say "Let's get through this together".