I only went to the...
Illustration
I only went to the funeral because the widow was the sister of one of our members. What I learned about the grieving family made my heart ache.
Jerry and Sally had been married for 15 years. They had two beautiful children. Eighteen months ago, Jerry was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. The tests they ran indicated that Jerry had AIDS. No one mentioned how he had contracted this contemporary version of bubonic plague. It might have been by blood transfusion. It might have been some other means. The fact that his wife was uninfected was both a blessing and a troubling revelation.
During the months of his declining health, the family had sought counsel and networked with AIDS support groups. After some initial hesitation they informed their closest friends the nature of Jerry's illness. Not surprisingly, some friends deserted them. Blessedly, others gave unconditional support. The final months had been times of deterioration and frequent hospitalization.
At the funeral, I was struck by the sight of a young mother and two children in their early teens who needed Isaiah's message of comfort and the possibility of life being rebuilt.
- Cueni
Jerry and Sally had been married for 15 years. They had two beautiful children. Eighteen months ago, Jerry was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. The tests they ran indicated that Jerry had AIDS. No one mentioned how he had contracted this contemporary version of bubonic plague. It might have been by blood transfusion. It might have been some other means. The fact that his wife was uninfected was both a blessing and a troubling revelation.
During the months of his declining health, the family had sought counsel and networked with AIDS support groups. After some initial hesitation they informed their closest friends the nature of Jerry's illness. Not surprisingly, some friends deserted them. Blessedly, others gave unconditional support. The final months had been times of deterioration and frequent hospitalization.
At the funeral, I was struck by the sight of a young mother and two children in their early teens who needed Isaiah's message of comfort and the possibility of life being rebuilt.
- Cueni
