With many a winding turn He would not encumber me
That leads us to who knows where He ain't heavy, he's my brother
Who knows where If I'm laden at all
But I'm strong I'm laden with sadness
Strong enough to carry him That everyone's heart
He ain't heavy, he's my brother Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another
His welfare is of my concern From which . . . .
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
Those iconic words have symbolized the spirit of Boys Town for decades. But many people don’t know how it originated.
Back in 1918, a boy named Howard Loomis was abandoned by his mother at Father Flanagan’s Home for Boys, which had opened just a year earlier. Howard had polio and wore heavy leg braces. Walking was difficult for him, especially when he had to go up or down steps.
Soon, several of the Home’s older boys were carrying Howard up and down the stairs.
One day, Father Flanagan asked Reuben Granger, one of those older boys, if carrying Howard was hard.
Reuben replied, “He ain’t heavy, Father… he’s m’ brother.”
The beauty of loving your neighbor (or brother) is also illustrated in the book, The Parables of Jesus. Written in 1884, the Reverend James Wells uses an almost identical expression. He writes a story about a little girl carrying her baby brother on her back. When asked whether she was tired, the girl replied, “No, he’s not heavy; he’s my brother.”
Father Flanagan was most definitely moved by the pure love behind such a statement.
In 1943, Father Flanagan was paging through a copy of Ideal magazine when he saw an image of an older boy carrying a younger boy on his back. The caption read, “He ain’t heavy, mister… he’s my brother.”
Immediately, the priest was reminded of a photo of Reuben carrying Howard at a Boys Town picnic many years before. Father Flanagan wrote to the magazine and requested permission to use the image and quote. The magazine agreed, and Boys Town adopted them both to define its new brand.
“He ain’t heavy” is relevant beyond Boys Town, though. At some point in our lives, most of us have needed to be carried by someone, metaphorically speaking. And, at some point, we probably carried somebody else. We’re human. We stumble. And we look to each other for help when we do. It is important to ask yourself who has carried you. It is also important to carry our brothers and sisters when they need us.
Over 100 years later, the motto is still the best description of what the children at Boys Town learn about the importance of caring for each other and having someone care about them. This is a wonderful lesson for everyone. Our "brother" is everyone. Father Flanagan started quite a wonderful legacy.
5) https://www.boystown.org/about/father-flanagan/Pages/father-flanagan-quotes.aspx
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