Buddhism teaches us that life is a journey through opposites and that our goal in life is to walk balanced between these polarities.

It wasn't until AIDS entered my life that I understood the profundity of this truth. For when my lover died, I lost a jewel without, but found a treasure within. I drowned in sorrow, only to be rescued by a joyful heart. I fell into the depths of despair, and was lifted on the wings of hope. I discovered the light within the darkness, and gained courage from the terror of my aloneness.

It is love that has balanced my emotional extremes, and it is love that enables me to walk on. I am grateful to feel so alive. Yet, I miss John beyond words; but through his death, I have been reborn.

- Tom Connor Santa Fe, New Mexico