Yin and Yang

About 10 minutes after I finished the previous post, I got a Facebook email from another former colleague named Joe Ritchie, from my years at the Detroit Free Press. It was about our mutual former free Press colleague named Hugh Grannum. Two years ago, Hugh photographed artist Aaron Ibn Pori Pitts, an elder in Detroit's creative community. He was producing a pictorial story about Pitts' recovery from a stroke. During that story, Hugh met Aaron's younger brother Benjamin, and they became friends. In the interim two years, Hugh's kidneys began to fail, so much so that he had to stop working, and was placed on a transplant waiting list.

He was number 2,500 in line.

Last month, Hugh and his wife Carolyn got a phone call. There was a kidney available. It was from Benjamin Pitts, who was just 5o years old when he died of a stroke.

Hugh received the transplant on Friday, August 13th.

Last weekend, he went to the Detroit International Jazz Fest.

I'm smiling, because I remember how funny and nice and full of life Hugh Grannum was. Still is.

Read all about it in Detroit Free Press columnist Rochelle Riley's latest column. I'm too busy just meditating and praying about the yin and yang of life right about now.

http://www.freep.com/article/20100912/COL10/9120522/1322/Kidney-an-answer-to-friends-prayers