Thursday, June 4, 2009

Hands


Ever since Mom's accident, I've been doing a lot of thinking about hands. I remember when Dad spoke about his deceased mother and what her hands meant to him. He spoke of the hard work she performed with those hands--Idaho farm work. Raised during the depression, my dad watched his mother sew him pants made from old flour sacks and come up with a delicious meal from seemingly empty cupboards. All with her hands.

My mother's hands have served us children (and so many others) equally well. Rolling out pie crusts and sewing ribbons on pointe shoes and planting tomatoes...

Hands are powerful. They are beautiful. They are symbolic. Call me cheesy, but I keep singing Jewel's song in my head (I have listened to a lot of Jewel in my day).

If I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that we're all OK
And not to worry 'cause worry is wasteful
And useless in times like these
I won't be made useless
I won't be idle with despair
I will gather myself around my faith
For light does the darkness most fear
My hands are small, I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken...
In the end, only kindness matters.
I like those words. A lot. There is power in them.

The greatest discourse I have ever heard about hands is this one. Again, strength and symbolism.

Mum, I know you are frustrated right now. But you won't be made useless. Gather yourself around your faith. And The Lord thy God will hold thy hand.


4 comments:

Emily Anne said...

that picture of your boys holding hands gets to the tenderest spot in my heart! and your mom's poor little hand - oh my.

beautiful thoughts. can't wait to read that talk, thanks for the link.

Katie said...

Juliet (of Romeo & Juliet) said "palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss." That line has always stuck with me because I think there is something so tender about holding hands.

Your boys are so sweet, they're lucky to have each other! I was reading one of my dad's medical journals the other night (weird I know) and one of the articles was about the pinkie finger. It said that most people think the pinkie is a "decorative digit" but that when someone loses their pinkie, they lose about 50% of all the strength in their hand. I had just read about your mom and I thought of her and how you said she was such a trooper. I'd probably be the biggest whiney baby if that happened to me, so I'm always inspired by people who exude strength when faced with difficult and painful challenges.

Rachel and Jared said...

I love that! Hands are powerful! In RS our latest training theme was our hands are his hands, how true.

Danielle said...

I talked to my dad today who I guess recently saw your mom and her told me how impressed he was with her stalwart attitude about the whole situation. They commiserated about their fingers.

Also, I totally can picture you in high school laying on your bed listening to Jewel in the dark. Totally.

Love those little boy hands!