Week 13 -- Prompt

Hands

Those small, soft, delicate hands will someday become large, rough, hard working hands.

It always happens, when a baby is born we check them all out. We check out how long their feet and toes are and comment about them. Comment about how much or how little hair they have, and the shape of their nose, etc. We gently touch their little hand, and straighten their little fingers, and yet again comment on how long, short or something. Your hand seems so large compared to theirs.

Time goes by days,weeks, and months their little hands grow along with the rest of them. They start reaching out to touch and you offer your finger for them to touch and hold, as your hand is still much larger than theirs. Now before you know it they are walking, their little hands are very busy. They are inquisitive and touching anything and everything.Walking across a parking lot, in a store or just out side and your big hand is gently holding their little hand for safety. "Oh, look how cute." one mom says to the other. "They are holding hands." As the two little people go strolling across the playground, with dirty little hands holding onto each other. Doesn't seem to bother them much though.

Yet more time has pasted and their little hands are getting bigger. Off to school where they learn more ways to use their hands and gain hand and eye coordination. The teacher reaches out with her larger hand, to touch the hand of the little one setting on the bench. Touching seems to show care and concern. Children are taught the importance of washing their hands, and how germs are passed on and so forth. Little scrapes and cuts start occurring and marring and marking the small, soft delicate hands. 

Years have passed by and now teenagers, oh my. Boys and girls sometimes not wanting anyone to know that they like each other, or not sure that they want to be boyfriend and girlfriend, gently slide their hands together, just barely touching. Not really holding hands, but want to feel the touch of the skin to skin. Days later, at the same table, with the same friends, he gently slides his hand across and slips it on top of her smaller, dainty hand. Later they get up to leave, not really holding hands but slightly touching little finger to little finger. 

Now these small, soft, delicate hands have grown into larger marred and scared hands. Depending on the work they do depends on the physical appearance you see. If you stop and think about it, how often do we hold hands for comforting or affection without even realizing we are doing it. Just the gentle touch of skin touching skin seems to do so much. Small to large, skin to skin, gentle to firm says a lot.