Why I haven't written

I have a friend who has AIDS. He is like a brother to me, he's one of my best friends. Last week he had the flu. He was afraid he would die, which was in the realm of possibility. His temp for a week was over 100 degrees. And all I could do is walk his dog, Boomer. It is one of those things that pet lovers with AIDS must have, a friend to take care of the dog while they're busy trying not to die.
It truly was a helpless situation, but I helped, I walked the dog. I also let him cry. I didn't offer platitudes about how fine he would be next week, or offer this as a learning experience. I was just there.
I was concerned last week for my friend, yet the reality of this situation did not hit me until yesterday when he was able to take the dog walking chores back. He could have died. This strong gay man, with legs like iron, with muscle-ly arms and flat stomach. Maybe that is why he didn't die, this time.
The "AIDS monster" as he calls it, reared its ugly head and was defeated this time. Maybe we should demote AIDS to non-capitalization status, such as "aids", although it is still a BIG monster. But today, the monster has been slain! Here's to you, LIFE!