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The End Came(Begin playing Patti LaBelle’s “The Wind Beneath My Wings” [Midler recording, 1989] So one day I decided to call and just say “This has gone a little too far.” But before I got a chance to call her my Aunt Hattie Mae called me and said “Your sister just passed on. So I’m saying to you, what I’m saying is that we don’t have much time anymore. So if we hold things in, if we don’t let people know how much we love them while they’re here, they could leave us, and we’d be feeling sorry. We’re loosing people today to so many diseases: cancer, AIDS, sickle cell, Alzheimer’s, even homelessness, and addiction. And we’re loosing people today because we’re afraid to touch them if they’re gay, we’re afraid to touch somebody if they’re white, we’re afraid to touch someone if they’re Asian, or if they’re black. We have to start loving each other a lot more, and saying to each other, “I appreciate you,” while they’re here. So just in case it happens to you or it’s happening around you, just say to that someone what I didn’t say to my sister, and that’s that I love you, love you, love you. fade out “Wind Beneath My Wings.”) The end came on Valentine's Day of 1990. Tom died of AIDS at Cabrini Medical Center in Manhattan. I had a final talk with Tom two days before. He was so depressed about the loss of the use of his hands. I tried to comfort him and to prepare him for his death, not an easy thing to do over the phone. "Tom, can you talk a little longer." What do you say to this? I told him to make peace with God and that Stephen and I were praying for him. (Fade in to background Patti LaBelle's "The Wind Beneath My Wings.") I wasn't able to get through for two days, and on Wednesday, when I reached his roommate, I found out that he had gone into a coma the next morning and died a day later. (Fade up from background Patti LaBelle’s “The Wind Beneath My Wings,” Did you ever know that you’re my hero fade out) |