Thanks for sharing your heart with us. You are a good man.
I have lost two previous partners to AIDS. Sometimes I wonder how it can be that I am still here. I'm sure I will know the reason one day. Until then, I live to for the day when we hear that there is a cure.
Blessings, Michael in Raleigh
leatherman:
My condolences on your losses. :'(
You'll find there are a few other members around here who have also lost two (or more!) partners. Though none of us is happy is be part of "this group", I have found them to be great people who truly understand how distressing and life-altering it is to keep falling in love, building a life together, and then losing those partners. No one should have to lose the love of their life, much less have to go through such a terrible trauma twice. I know my life has been forever altered and overshadowed by losing my guys.
of course, I need to say welcome to the forums. ;D I'm sure you'll not only find the information you need about HIV from this site and the members, but you'll find the same support that I have found from people who have dealt and are dealing with similar issues to what you are dealing with.
After you have posted 3 times, you'll be able to send private messages to other members. If you ever need to chat about your partners (I sure can understand about how tough things can be at times like holidays, bdays, and "those" anniversaries :'( ), feel free to contact me.
leatherman:
well, another May has come and about gone, and you've been gone 9 years. It's hard to believe that it's also been 22 years since Randy died. I talk to Larry often about the two of you because his traits frequently remind me of you. Larry certainly has your sense of humor and determination - and he loves doing house/yard projects together.
While it's nearly been a decade since I lost you, I still love you and I miss you every day.
leatherman:
May 1. 5:55am. My eyes flew open and, thanks to that damned google calendar, I knew that it's been 14 years since you had to leave me.
While I don't think about you every single day anymore and don't talk to Larry about you as much as I did in the early years together with him, you're never far from my thoughts. Larry definitely has traits of both you and Randy, and when he makes me laugh, there's often a little voice in my head that says that is exactly the way you used to make me laugh. I wish you had family memebers left alive to remember you too all these years; but our OhioFamily still remembers and loves you. You're always close to their thoughts too since they named their child, James Randall, after you and Randy.
I know you're not surprised that I've been a little worried lately. There were just so many coincidences with you and Randy - 10 yrs together, born in the same month, died in the same month, both passing away at 5:55am, only a week at home with hospice, etc. Then just like there was 4 yrs between Randy and you, it was 4 yrs between you and Larry. And now I'm coming up on the 10 yr. mark with Larry. While Larry is healthy and 95% of me really isn't worried, there's 5% of me that knows that life can suddenly flip and be nothing like you thought it was going to be, and that part is worried.
I still miss "us". I still miss you. But if all I was going to get was 10 yrs with you, I'd do it all over again because it was totally worth it. :-*