Imagine an unwanted child, and a woman who will give him a loving home. But the child is gravely ill. The state will take him back, but it’s clear they hold out no hope for his recovery. They will not fight for this tiny life.
So the woman takes him home. She sends her husband and other children away so they do not become infected, and she begins to care for the child. She nurses him around the clock, setting aside her own needs, sacrificing her own health.
Days pass. At times, it appears the little one is getting better and the woman offers up thanks for this small miracle. But the miracle is short-lived. One infection follows another. Days turn into weeks. Though exhausted and emotionally drained, the woman does not give up.
And then it's over. The tiny flame flickers, and is gone.
The woman grieves.
Imagine.
Would you have given as much?
Would you have done it for him?
Dedicated to Maria Zannini, in memory of Murray.
(No groaner today. See you next week.)
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