HIV diagnosis

For a long time, I thought silence was protecting me. I thought if I didn't say something out loud, maybe it wouldn't feel real.

Joining this blog will allow me to connect with other women living with HIV/AIDS, contribute to an important community, and continue using my voice to encourage, support, and advocate for others.

I lived in secrets and lies for far too long and it caused heartbreak for everyone.

At 48 I look back at my life and it's clear that the only reason I'm standing here with my Beeb and NuNu is because Jesus literally has saved me.

I write because I love writing, and I have loved it since I was seven. I am honest about my life, some say too honest.

Stigma is a killer, sure, but silence is the weapon it uses.

A definition does not allow room for growth. Life with HIV is not definitive; it is change. It is growth.

It's far more difficult to live with people's perceptions of HIV than with the reality.

For as long as I can remember, I thought survival and worth were the same damn thing. If I was needed, I mattered. If I was wanted, I was safe.

My life has not been in vain. My pain became a path. My voice became a shelter. My existence has allowed others to exist with less fear.