The Lightness of Reprieve

What does it mean to provide hope, encouragement, solace and joy to a dear friend who is staying with you during a clinical trial for pancreatic cancer? My faith informs me that no love is greater than friendship; to lay down one's life for a friend. And yet, I think the power of friendship is generally undervalued by our culture. These poems arose from that context, both personal and societal, as I nurtured plants in my summer garden, ran daily errands in the car, and shared meals and laughter with our friend and her husband, always looking for signs of strength and hope for our days together.