He ain't heavy, he's my brother

Someone put this in a Facebook Post. What he intended I may never know, but it brought a memory to the surface for me. When I was young, around 12 I think, there was a death in the small northern community that I grew up in. A young man, a friend of my brother's died. My memory is hazy, for some reason I think he chose death, and it was a suicide, but I also remember that he was young, foolish perhaps, and without a doubt, drinking way too much, and driving a snowmobile way too fast on ice that was way too thin. But my true memory is of this song. Somewhere in that sequence of events, this song was played, and it resonated. Forever after, for me, this song is about how much harder we can try to support the ones we care about, and that we can carry a burden for someone else for a while when it becomes too heavy for them. We can prevent the loss of a beautiful soul. I learned long ago as a "young/naive" counsellor that I could give energy. This is how we lift emotional pain and carry the burden for a short time, allowing another soul a reprieve. If I am emotionally healthy and strong I can do that, I share strength and give that gift to another. Simply by being open to the idea of plenty. There is enough to go around. No one is too heavy, we are all brothers. My life is good, let me share that with you, I have plenty.