'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother'

(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

I said a Bahai prayer, and then my silly sense of humor got the best of me.

I said, "At least he won't have to see the Rams run out of L.A."

Call it a premonition. Within two or three years, the Rams were in St. Louis.

Now I am less than 10 minutes from the 49ers in Santa Clara.

I am very close to Candlestick and Pac Bell Park.

After all those years of being too far away geographically to see my teams play, I'm here without my buddies.

I'm trying to find the passion.

This post—two times my usual length—was prompted not for your pity, but to share a story that I hope touches you personally for the sake of you and those whom you love.

It occurred because I'm converting all of my CDs to iPod at last, since I am now the one quite ill, and it's about all I can do.

A song by The Hollies came on, but please let me digress momentarily.

My brother was a big man, with a bigger heart, and my mom must have bought the heaviest casket she could find.

When two of four casket-bearers could not carry their weight on my side, I took up the load in front.

Here are the lyrics to the song, "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother":

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where
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 the 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's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

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