Quilts

Quilts

Noel Laflin

11-30-18

Tomorrow will mark the 30th anniversary of the first World AIDS Day.

Many years ago, I used to seek out quilt panels honoring friends who died from AIDS-related complications. The quilts would frequently be on display around the country on this day. When I would finally spot a familiar name, I would stop, marvel at the love that went into the making of the quilt, and give humble thanks for having known or loved the young fellow in question.

Over the years the quilt has grown to more than 48,000 individual panels, and weighs an estimated fifty-four tons. It is the largest piece of community folk art in the world.

There was a time when friends and I stood on a raised platform and signed the names of those who had died as they were read aloud from the podium. Many signers were on hand to relieve one another as there were so many names to be read.

I just went to the site where one can look for an individual's quilt, as there are several I would like to see once more - and in some cases, for the first time. A photograph will do for now.

The site was down due to unprecedented numbers of folks trying to do the same thing.

It's good to know that many are still remembering.