He Ain’t Heavy

Sitting on the shore, the river smoothing flowing by, surrounded by a crowd of girls, but all alone, she watches. A young aboriginal family has a picnic a few metres away… a few of the children running around in next to nothing and in the case of the youngest, even less. They are running around, playing, yelling, swimming, all under the careful eye of their mother. A little girl, dark as the tree bark, wandered over, smiling shyly. She smiled back, but the little girl was soon called by her mother, and so a more interesting sight distracted the silent watcher. Further along the shore, a cute boy rode his bike towards a family seated at a table, and then skidded to a stop. Obviously part of the group, he was soon laughing and joking with all present, Including a younger boy who looked very similar to him, like a brother. Only, he was strapped into an electric wheelchair, his limbs emaciated and withered, his body decrepit, like an old mans, even though he couldn’t have been more then fourteen. As she watched, the older boy pulled his shirt off, and shaking his mop of hair, bent down to his brother. Placing one hand around his shoulder, he gathered up the shriveled legs with certain tenderness. Slipping his arm around the frail body, he stood up with ease. Gently, he carried him down to the waters edge, then continued to wade into the water. The disabled boy’s arm was balanced precariously around his protector’s neck, but his eyes, bright and strong, beamed trust. When his unusable legs just touched the water, his brother gently lowered himself into the water, supporting him all the way. On the banks, his unknown observer felt tears rise in her eyes. Here was the most brilliant display of love she had ever seen acted out, every touch, every motion simply shouted to the world how much he loved his brother, yet the many people sitting on the shoreline were oblivious to everything. The two brother spent half an hour in the water, mostly just letting it wash over them, and during the whole time, the guardian never let him slip, never let him fall. As he gathered his brother in his arms and lifted him out of the water, a song floated through the mind of the young girl watching them…. But I’m strong, strong enough to carry him, he ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.
“…

So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he, to bear
We’ll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother

If I’m laden at all
I’m laden with sadness
That everyone’s heart
Isn’t filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

It’s a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we’re on our way to there
Why not share

And the load
Doesn’t weigh me down at all
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.”

- He Ain’t Heavy (Neil Diamond)

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