I love my Grandma’s hands. I have loved them for as long as I can remember. As A child I would run my finger along her long, bumpy, blue veins. I would trace them along their paths and wonder if my hands would someday look like hers. As I stare at this photo I think of all the things she had done for me with her hands.
–She bathed me many times as a child. Whenever I smell Ivory soap or vinegar I think of her bathtub. (I’m still not sure why she put vinegar in our bath water!)
–She scratched my back as I laid in her lap. (This one was my favorite)
–She drew us tons of silly cartoons. She is a great artist but loved to draw funny cartoons for us. There was never a tv guide in her house that didn’t have mustaches and blacked out teeth drawn on all the celebrity’s faces. When the disgusting “Garbage Pail Kids” cards were popular, she drew us her own version. (I wish I still had copies of them!)
–She played the “Boogie Woogie” and other fun songs on the piano. She plays by ear and played any song we wanted.
–She baked cookies with us. The fun part about this one is that she let us make up our own recipes-even if they included applesauce and ritz crackers and cheddar cheese and candy pieces!
I could go on all day, but the most important thing she did for me with her hands was take care of my Grandpa. She set the most wonderful example for me as to what a marriage is all about. It is about serving and loving each other. My Grandpa was not in the best of health, especially during his last few years. My favorite memory is watching her put his socks and shoes on him because he couldn’t do it himself.
I love all my grandparents but I have a special place in my heart for my Grandma’s hands.
