5/10/08

Can I Please Hold Your Hand? A Mother's Day Gift!

This week I was walking down the aisle of a local store when my eyes caught view of a woman, maybe in her late 60s, walking hand in hand with a woman in her 90s. They were walking very close to each other, in a very endearing way. I just knew they were mother and daughter. They each had a look of devotion in their eyes.

A pang went through my heart. Not only was this sight beautiful, but it also made me miss my mom, terribly. Oh, how I’d love to hold her hand as we walked down the aisle of a grocery store. I loved my mom’s hands. We’d always talk about the ridges in her fingernails, which I am now getting in mine. Mom’s hands were always busy in the kitchen cooking for her family or for guests. I think about my hands as I prepare for many dinners in my home. Mom worked the garden soil and canned. I’ve followed in her steps. She had a love for children, using her hands to prepare weekly Sunday school lessons, year after year. I love my Balcony Girls! We both have tied aprons around our waists as we geared up for giving out. We both have loved our husbands and families, deeply. We both have taken Motherhood very seriously, as God’s highest calling. And I see how God has used us both – by using our hands.

As I turned to my daughter and said, “Abby, do you mind if I hold your hand right now?” She said, “Sure Mom!”

So we walked around the store holding hands. She didn’t care and I didn’t care.

I came across this beautiful picture of my Mother giving her mother a hug, back in 1978. Although this photo is old, I could feel through their body language and glowing facial expressions a life of love and devotion. I know that my Mother felt the same way about her mom, as I do for her.

Even though Mom and Grandma are both gone now, I can’t help looking back at their love and zest for life – both contributing to this world by reaching out to others. Their hugs were real. There was no guile or deceit in the way they lived their lives.

Hugs and hand-holding have become real to me. They’re ways of reaching out and touching the one you are with. As I find myself walking alongside older friends, who are involved in my life, I realize that they stepped in at the perfect time - to be there for my family and me. If you saw them today, they’d each tell you that I occasionally will grab their hand, and hold it tight! I’ve learned to love their hands, almost as much as I loved my own mother’s. Thank you Auntie Ellen, Hoppi, Dee, Jeannie, Faye, and Ginny.

Thank you God, for these women’s hands!

And thank you, Abby, for letting me hold your hand, just this week. And for my boys, who never say “no” when I reach for their hand!


Thank you God, for the gift of Motherhood!

(Photos: Mom and Grandma Dubs in 1978; Coming home from hospital with newborn, “Abigail.” I love how this picture shows each of our hands! To read more about my Mother, you can go here. Or to read my Mother's Day post last year, go here.) NEXT POST: Abby's award-winning essay, What My Mother Means to Me!

18 comments:

Pam said...

Sandy~

This is beautiful, and I love the pictures you found to illustrate the tenderness of the relationships you described.

Thanks for being a kindred spirit. Your words touched my heart.

dawn klinge said...

Beautiful. Happy Mother's day!

Jen said...

What a great memory. Happy Mothers Day.

Barb said...

Luv the photos! I always thought it would be fun to get a professional photo done of the hands in our family--all the right or left hands of each member, in descending order. Unfortunately, I waited too long--now all the hands are grown up and bigger than mine! :o( An idea for someone else maybe....

Tracy said...

Beautiful! I'm a very demonstrative person, and gestures of affection always melt my heart!

Dee Light said...

Just lovely!! Happy Mothers Day!!!

Our Two Blessings From Above said...

What a beautiful post!
The photos are just priceless!
I hope you can make some wonderful memories tomorrow.
Have a great Mother's Day!

Nadine said...

That was just so beautiful Sandy.

Happy Mother's Day to you. It seems you carry on from a great line of moms.

Kirstin said...

Happy Mothers Day Sandy!

I too love holding my girl's hands. And often we'll be walking and they'll just reach out and take my hands. I love how when daddy is gone and they sleep with me, they like to hold my hand as they fall asleep...and they're 12 and 9! I hope it never ends.

anya* said...

that was a lovely post sandy, thank you for sharing. i have tears in my eyes...

Anonymous said...

How very lovely, Sandy! You look so much like your mother. :-)

Lately, Hannah has been reaching for my hand. I love it, and savor each moment she does it!

Happy Mother's Day!

Heidi said...

This post hit home...I can remember tracing the veins on my mom's hands and loving them for all their little quirks. As an adult now - when i go to clean my oven, i end up doing it in tears each time because my mom used to love to clean her oven and would always clean mine when I was single and living in my own home. She loved to use her hands to help. I miss my mom in a crushing sort of way - oh, sandy - i felt your words deeply today.

tammi said...

Wow, do you ever look like your mom!! I love that picture ~ it's just beautiful. And you have such sweet kids. I hope that I'm developing the kind of relationship with my girls, too, where there will never be a time they don't want to be seen in public with me!!

Michelle @ Sew-Krafty said...

I had forgotten that my mom and I used to hold hands even when I was in my teens. She is going through a rough time with depression right now and I've been focused on all that "roughness". Thank you for reminding me of a better time!!

MeaganMusing said...

What a wonderful post about your mom. I hope you had a fabulous Mother's Day with your family!

The Tin House said...

Oh Sandy, you just made me cry. I will make sure that when I see my Mum in July, that I hold her hands whenever I get the chance. We are so far away from each other, but I must take more time to let her know how much I appreciate her. My Grandma had beautiful wrinkly old spotted hands. Lots of Love - a splendid mothers day gift from your daughter - Lisa x

Chris @ Come to the Table said...

Thank you Sandy for sharing this. It is beautiful. I love photographing my children's hands. Last night at my daughter's band concert, I photographed her tapping foot and her sweet 13 year old hands playing her clarinet.

I think the next time I am alone with one of them, walking through the store, I will reach in close and ask to hold their hand.

Sarah said...

Thanks for visiting me on my blog! I have been visiting yours I just have never left a comment but loved to hear from you! I also love your post about your Mom and can so feel what you felt when you were in the grocery store because I have those same feelings often. Its so funny that you talk about your Mom's hands because not long ago I saw these ladies hands on a magazine and they looked just like my Mom's. Funny what will trigger us to think about them. I really enjoy reading your blog and I will be having a garage sale with Kim in a couple of weekends and will be using your tips! God bless you.