Part of foot care is applying the Silver Sulfadiazine twice a day. First I ice the foot with a cold pack for half an hour or so to keep the swelling down. Then I air it for half an hour or so. This morning, bright sunshine, a warm September day, perfection.

I'm airing it in the sun, and the foot says:  Ahhhhhhhhhhhh....

Our family is not terribly medically oriented.

When my mother had her left leg amputated below the knee, and she was in St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee, I took myself by the shoulders and said I had to look at her truncated leg without flinching. She would have to look at it a lot in the months ahead. The very least I could do was support her with my gaze.

In fact, the healing of the wound took many months and was problematic. Finally an ointment containing blood cells that cost $400 a tube and had to be refrigerated helped bring about the healing. Mom's congestive heart failure and age (87) militated against hyperbaric oxygen treatment.

As this much smaller healing challenge goes forward for me -- I lift my eyes to the hills, whence comes my help...my help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth -- a moment in the sun is delicious. Warm, bright, healing. Got to help.

After this lovely sunning and wiggling, back to the rest of the regimen.