This photo of Daddy's hands is so meaningful.
These are worn and tired hands, injured too.
They were hardworking hands, and skillful too.
Who could enumerate the woodworking projects they made?
Or the churches and houses they built?
And what about the letters and sermons he wrote?
April is over, time to change the calendar picture.
When I choose photos for the family calendar I think of the birthdays in each month.
Back in December, I did not know if Daddy would still be with us for his 92nd birthday, April 2nd.
And, in fact, he did not wait that long. Breath and soul left his frail body February 21, 2013.
At the viewing, one of my brothers noticed something wrong with the way his hands were arranged. The mortician probably was thinking to hide the injured hand. Dad lost a part of his left index finger years ago.
I do not recall the circumstances of the accident.
I may not have noticed. But my photo of Daddy's hands confirms his customary way of placing the left hand over the right.
This one photo gives me much to ponder and raises unanswered questions. It seems that with each week, as I endeavor to learn more about Daddy's life and person, I am left with more to explore and discover. I am hoping that my siblings, with better memories than mine and keener observation skills, will help fill in some of the missing pieces.
I don't think there is a much sweeter picture that the hands of the ones we love.
ReplyDeleteYou have inspired me to ask more questions of my parents!
Amazing how our mind processes when something isn't "right" -- like noticing dad's hands weren't in their normal left-over-right position.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you and Ivan can brainstorm while we're together over the coming months, and bring up more memories. Sometimes it helps to do that, rather than individually trying to recall events/habits/characteristics.