A Mother's Hands

As I was scrubbing the children's plastic potty this morning, I thought about a mother's hands and the things they do. Not so much just the truly gross things that I find myself doing as a mother that it is not likely I would do otherwise, but all of the things a mother's hands do to take care of her family and share her love with them.

• Mother's hands tuck in children at night, even when they think they are too old to be tucked in.
• Her hands carry us when we are little, love us better when we are hurt, and give us high 5's when we celebrate.
• Mother's hands scrub toliets, wash dishes, and clean up bodily fluids of all kinds.
• Her hands help restrain us from getting hurt or need to stop and focus before we move forward into something without thinking.
• Mother's hands answer the telephone so we can visit when we are away from home.
• Her hands prepare the food we eat, pour drinks, feed us, and fill our plates.
• Mother's hands select items from the store that make our lives continue to run as smoothly as possible.
• Her hands turn the pages of the books we read together and put the movies in the VCR for us to watch.
• Mother's hands dress small children and give them baths.
• Her hands buckle seatbelts and drive the car to get us from place to place.
• Mother's hands make our clothes or help us pick out clothes at the store.
• Her hands wipe snotty noses and check fevered brows.
• Mother's hands hold pencils and paper while teaching us to write and draw, and they help us with our homework and projects as we get older.
• Her hands lock the doors and windows to make sure we are safe in our home.
• Mother's hands write the notes and letters that are quiet reminders of her love for us.
• Her hands do the laundry to make sure we have clean clothes to wear.
• Mother's hands catch us when we fall.
• Her hands are attached to the arms that are always open to us.
• Mother's hands point to new things for us to see, learn, and do.
• Her hands pay the bills using checks or the computer, or both to be sure our needs are met.
• Mother's hands are often found giving service to others.
• Her hands play peek-a-b00, board and card games, ring around the rosies, basketball, volleyball, hide and seek, and every game a child can come up with.
• Mother's hands wrap presents for birthdays, Christmas, and other celebrations.
• Her hands show us how to work and clean.
• Mother's hands search the internet for information and entertainment.
• Her hands search for books to read for herself and her family.

A mother's hands do so many things it is hard to name them all. It is amazing what a mother's hands can do.