HIV can be a lonely, isolating life. The holidays can be even lonelier. I know over the years for me this has been true. In recent years their have been Christmas days when I was sick and didn’t really feel like socializing so I spent my day with my puppy. I have no living family and when I did, well mama was hell on wheels and sometimes I opted out of her chaos.


My therapist and I were talking a few weeks back about this family thing and while I have no biological family I do have family. People with whom I have history from years of connection like the  Rev. Jesse Jackson and Mrs. Jackson and family and others I bonded with over my political days. I even have new friends that I have connected with in a very strong way, like Tiara. Then there’s my BFF Luke who came in town and spent the pass week with me. We ate our way through Chicago LOL.


When you think about it, family are the people that seal their love in your heart whether they share a blood line with you or not. I know living with this disease we tend to wish for days when HIV wasn’t a part of our life. I think though, that sometimes we need to embrace the goodness before us rather than spend our days wishing for what is not nor never will be. HIV is in our life and life as we once knew it has changed forever. I think that sometimes what’s before us is a gift from God that we over look, looking for how we want it to be.


It’s taken me a long time to get to this place... The place of recognizing the unspoken gifts in our life starting with being alive when HIV could have taken your ass up out of here.


No, our life is not perfect, but there is no perfect life on this earthly planet whether you have HIV or not. Coming to terms with this will bring you more peace that you can even imagine.


I don’t know what you situation may be, family, no family, but will you join me today in accepting the gift of life for your life?! We are still a part of God’s plan and breath in our body is the greastest gift of all, espcially when you are facing a choinc illness like HIV. So embrace life with me today. Get out of the house and go somewhere. Isolation will kill your spirit and with a dead spirit there is no life. Merry Christmas!!!