Pow Wow this weekend

I am like Super excited for this pow wow coming up my Uncle is being honored this weekend as an honored elder.I love to chill With My Native Family.My uncles and aunts have accepted the fact that I am HIV pos and whats more is well not only have they accepted they do not associate your common stigma with it especially Rez stigma. Part of that is Probably due to the fact that i am very open about my HIV status and that I educate on the subject they felt it necessary to learn about it.
Whats funny Is when I was diagnosed at an IHS clinic they told me I am sorry to tell you but you are HIV+ and well you probably only have a couple of good years left and you wont live past three or four years. All these years Later here I am.I remember coming to my grandmother and telling her I was pos and the people who Diagnosed me At IHS told me I wouldn't be around very long she Laughed and said "Boy don't you realize your a Bender this wont get you,not unless you let it your strong now be smart and do something with your life!!"
Here I am grandma doing what you told me to do "sumin wit ma life". Yeah I know I am going all kinds of places this morning with this post but I got allot on my mind.So back to the Pow wow it is going to be great the guy who plays Sam From twilight some guy from general hospital Tyler Christopher will be there at this Pow Wow we have had Rudy Youngblood from apocylipto there at one point he is a fantastic hoop dancer btw. we have had all the big names in native actors lolz. Heck I am going to try to get my Uncle Wes out to go to one of our Pow Wow's that would be cool and I would see hm again its always cool to hang with my family.Especially at the PowWow's Now I do get a bit tired of the Five Hours Of Gourd Dancing but hey that's their thing you know let em dance. But I will be there for Grand Entry oh hell yeah Love me My grand entry and all the beautiful dancers. which reminds me I will need to pick up my Ribbon Shirt I left it at my sister's house.I am sure Grandma Hazel will be there At the Pow Wow and Grandpa Bud.It will be good to see them and I know that my cousins will all be there.
Yeah I have a great big extended family by blood and adoption.I know I am not from Ks but I seem to have Family all over every where I go I am drawn to my family we find each other and for that I am grateful.Since the loss of my Parents I thought I was alone then all these people I am related too start finding me. It's like they knew I was in need and they found me to help me. Life is awesome and amazing and I have been truly blessed.
I know that I started this blog to educate on HIV and how I live with it But I also Want people to remember that even though we Live with this virus we have lives outside of it Pow Wow's and ceremonies are big Part of mine.Without the community of people that I have I think I would not be as healthy as I am.With out the support of my family I would not be as healthy.I know that being chronically ill has taken such a huge part of my life but I still live each day as it comes if I don't then why live at all.I am living With HIV not Dying from it.I look for the Balance in my life and while there are meds and Dr.'s there is also my faith my community and my family the balance is clear and without the Balance I don't think I could be as healthy as I am.
So sometime in the next day I will have to run and get my Ribbon Shirt so I can participate in the festivities.
Thanks for your time all and thanks for continuing to support my efforts and me in all I do.