Lord,
here I sit in my brother's rocking chair
on his back deck,
a place he has rested many times before.
I'm enjoying the fall like weather at the end of August.
It's almost his birthday!
My brother's dog keeps a lazy vigil nearby
for squirrels or rabbits or anything
that might threaten her backyard domain.
We are resting,
the dog and me on the porch,
my brother inside
taking an after lunch nap.
Normally I'd be at work,
but I'm on vacation
and he's just days home from the hospital.
So we are spending some time together.
Remembering.
Laughing.
Just enjoying the day.
Who knows how many days we'll get to do this.
So we savor this one:
His favorite drink treat.
A shared favorite TV show.
Memories of years past.
I fixed his clothes dryer
and changed the air conditioner filters.
I'll cook dinner tomorrow.
He does what he can
shuffling from wheelchair to recliner to bed and back.
For now, we rest.
It takes energy
to recover from being in the hospital
to care for a loved one so weak
to keep vigil.
So we rest, my brother, the dog, and me.
Lord,
grant us the strength that we need.
Amen
