Healer of the Sick,
How do I pray Modah Ani from a hospital bed
Where I barely slept?
Certainly not long enough for You to
Gather my soul for safekeeping through the night.
There were so many lonely hours and I struggled
To feel Your Presence amid the pain.
But I did see You in the nurses and aides
Who quietly wiped up the blood
And emptied bedpans without complaint.
I am grateful this morning
That my room faces to the East
Toward Your Holy City.
And the morning sun
Shines on me once again.
Give me strength to heal and then
Grow even more thankful for the gift of life.
Even for the pain that sharpens my senses
To life’s fleeting beauty.
Bestow Your greatest blessings on those
Who do the work of Your hands.
Who daily give their highest devotion
To healing the sick and bringing us
Ever closer to the World to Come.
