djmcintyre

djmcintyre_71@hotmail.com

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Graf #1

HANDS

My hands are small, my fingers are short. My nails are abused
from gardening. I have a scar on my right hand from when I was
a child. I learned to never pick up a cat during a fight. On my left
hand I wear my wedding ring and my Grandmother's engagement
ring on my pinkie finger. My hands are so much like hers were. Her
ring reminds me of the good times we shared. My palms are callused
from lifting weights without wearing gloves.

My hands have many personalities. My hands are gentle and loving.
My hands are strong and firm. My hands are happy, sad, angry,
energetic and tired. My hands never stop. When I awake they wash,
make breakfast, pack lunches and drive a car to work. At work I have
hands of a secretary. They type, type and type some more. My fingers
are limber and quick. My hands take care of people all day long. After
work I teach a fitness class with my hands as my guide. Then home to
cook supper, my hands still hard at work. At the table, they pray before
we eat. Then it's time for homework. My hands help my children with
their work and then it's time for mine. Oh and let's not forget the dishes
and clean-up those hands of mine need to finish.

Finally, at the end of the day, my hands are ready to tuck everyone in.
They gently touch my children's faces. This has been a ritual in our house
since the day they were born. With an index finger I make circles on
their foreheads, to the sides of their faces and around their ears. They love
my hands to do this each night. It relaxes them to sleep.

My hands are so full of life. They help express who I am in so many ways.
The scars, crooked fingers and aged wrinkles help me to remember my
strength and were it came from.