Like a Shepherd, I Carry You

I watched you this week carrying your children in your arms — literally, or in the worries they bring, the school bills, the feverish nights, the scoldings you didn't want to give but gave anyway because you were at your limit too. I know the exhaustion of someone who cares for others, who holds the house together, the job, the nights lost to sleep because of someone else.

But before you care for anyone else, let me remind you who cares for you first. I am like a shepherd: I gather the little lambs in my own arms, I carry in my bosom those who still can't walk on their own, and I gently guide whoever is worn out nursing a dream, a family, a hope that hasn't yet borne visible fruit.

You've been carrying so many people on those tired shoulders. Today, rest a little in my arms, even if it's just for a few minutes between one task and the next. Let me carry you too, asking nothing in return.