Tough subject to talk about and yet talking about it can help. I mentioned in a previous article about a friend of mine who had died from Aids. I thought maybe sharing our friendship a little might help others to be supportive of others when it is needed.
My friend, Rock, I met when I was a junior in high school. I really can't remember how we met or even the first time we met but it had to be through mutual friends. As Rock and I got to know each other better we started hanging around together on a normal basis.
He was a great dancer and I loved to dance so we would get together and practice in his basement so we could enter dance contests. I should mention that disco was very big back then and, yeah, that is the kind of dancing we did. Rock was a handsome guy and had a lot of girls attention. His personality was very friendly so friends were not hard to come by for him.
Rock and I got so close that we could talk about anything. I can't tell you how many relationships we comforted each other through. At one time we even thought of us becoming a couple but we were just to good of friends for that. Whenever I had a problem, Rock was there for me, as I was for him. I remember helping him with spelling because he was just the worse speller ever. No matter how big or small the situation was in either of our lives, we were there for each other.
Rocks mom and dad were the best too, they treated me like one of the family always. I was there for more family occasions than any girl he ever dated.
When we were about eighteen years old Rock told me he had to talk to me. We went out on his front porch and he told me he was gay. He hadn't told his parents yet and he wanted my advice before he did. I'm not sure if it was the advice or that he just needed to try telling someone else first to see the reaction.
I'm not going to tell you that I never considered his being gay, because I did, but I wasn't certain and dating girls like he did who knew. All I remember feeling when he told me was how much I loved this guy. I cared about him so much and I would never let anything hurt him, especially me.
I told him I was there for him and that I loved him. I knew it was going to be so hard for him to tell his parents but I admired that he didn't want to live holding this secret. It was a little hard at first for his parents but they too loved him and was there to support him.
After I was married, I moved away to Pittsburgh. Rock and I talked on the phone and sent letters here and there. I would go back to Maine and he was always one of the first people I would go see. I even tried to surprise him a few times but it never worked, he always knew it was me. I would go to his house where his partner and him lived and we all had great conversations. I thought I might feel uncomfortable but I never did.
Rock called me one day and told me he had aids. We cried many tears together and talked for a long time. Rock fought for a long time but lost that fight in the end. His last couple weeks were spent in a hospital very sick. I had three children at that time and couldn't go to Maine to be there. I made a tape for him, the tape had all my kids playing music for him and stuff like that and I read to him some of the things that we wrote each other a long time ago. I included pictures of all of our friends and some of the great memories that we shared together. I had the tape and a dozen roses sent to his room at the hospital with a card saying that I would not be buying roses for his funeral, that these were a celebration of our friendship. He called me, as sick as he was, and he enjoyed both very much. I knew it meant a lot to him, I knew I meant a lot to him. That was the last time I spoke with Rock, but he is forever in my heart.
My friend, Rock, I met when I was a junior in high school. I really can't remember how we met or even the first time we met but it had to be through mutual friends. As Rock and I got to know each other better we started hanging around together on a normal basis.
He was a great dancer and I loved to dance so we would get together and practice in his basement so we could enter dance contests. I should mention that disco was very big back then and, yeah, that is the kind of dancing we did. Rock was a handsome guy and had a lot of girls attention. His personality was very friendly so friends were not hard to come by for him.
Rock and I got so close that we could talk about anything. I can't tell you how many relationships we comforted each other through. At one time we even thought of us becoming a couple but we were just to good of friends for that. Whenever I had a problem, Rock was there for me, as I was for him. I remember helping him with spelling because he was just the worse speller ever. No matter how big or small the situation was in either of our lives, we were there for each other.
Rocks mom and dad were the best too, they treated me like one of the family always. I was there for more family occasions than any girl he ever dated.
When we were about eighteen years old Rock told me he had to talk to me. We went out on his front porch and he told me he was gay. He hadn't told his parents yet and he wanted my advice before he did. I'm not sure if it was the advice or that he just needed to try telling someone else first to see the reaction.
I'm not going to tell you that I never considered his being gay, because I did, but I wasn't certain and dating girls like he did who knew. All I remember feeling when he told me was how much I loved this guy. I cared about him so much and I would never let anything hurt him, especially me.
I told him I was there for him and that I loved him. I knew it was going to be so hard for him to tell his parents but I admired that he didn't want to live holding this secret. It was a little hard at first for his parents but they too loved him and was there to support him.
After I was married, I moved away to Pittsburgh. Rock and I talked on the phone and sent letters here and there. I would go back to Maine and he was always one of the first people I would go see. I even tried to surprise him a few times but it never worked, he always knew it was me. I would go to his house where his partner and him lived and we all had great conversations. I thought I might feel uncomfortable but I never did.
Rock called me one day and told me he had aids. We cried many tears together and talked for a long time. Rock fought for a long time but lost that fight in the end. His last couple weeks were spent in a hospital very sick. I had three children at that time and couldn't go to Maine to be there. I made a tape for him, the tape had all my kids playing music for him and stuff like that and I read to him some of the things that we wrote each other a long time ago. I included pictures of all of our friends and some of the great memories that we shared together. I had the tape and a dozen roses sent to his room at the hospital with a card saying that I would not be buying roses for his funeral, that these were a celebration of our friendship. He called me, as sick as he was, and he enjoyed both very much. I knew it meant a lot to him, I knew I meant a lot to him. That was the last time I spoke with Rock, but he is forever in my heart.
