A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....01-16-08....Warm Fuzzy Wednesday ~ Grandma's Hands

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

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Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. She didn't move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands.

When I sat down beside her she didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if she was OK.

Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked her if she was OK. She raised her head and looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," she said in a clear voice strong.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK," I explained to her.

"Have you ever looked at your hands," she asked. "I mean really looked at your hands?"

I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making.

Grandma smiled and related this story:

"Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life.

"They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor.

They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child, my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to war.

"They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special

They wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse.

"They have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand.

They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me u p, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.

"These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life.

But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ."

I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God reached out and took my grandma's hands and led her home.

When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and husband I think of grandma. I know she has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God.

I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.

03-27-07 ~ Hall of Fame #19 ~ Final

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 01-14,15-08 Military Tribute

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[Billie]

Thank you, Aqua. I haven’t been here in a few days either. Am glad you like the design on the post. :)

[Billie]

Hi, dutchess. Happy to see a smile on your face. :)

[La Enchiladita]

Hi Billie, you still around this morning?
When my Brigid was young, she would slip over to the neighbor’s yard and play with the big sweet doggie there. They took turns chasing each other; it was so darn funny.
However, I had to limit that activity as the person that lived with the dog didn’t like cats.

[MEG33]

I am sorry you aren't well, Prissy Missy!

[Billie]

Good morning, jaycee - I am even later checking back in on this thread. Grandma’s Hands brought tears to my eyes, too. It’s a sweet story, though, and am sure it brings back a few memories of our own Grandmas and all the things she did and all the love she gave.

[Billie]

I think I do remember that one, Bob - sure fits in this thread, too!

[Billie]

Good morning, Amy. Thank you - always happy to see your warm smiling face - AND the picture of little prissy (in later post!)

[Billie]

I LOVE this picture! All those sweet, adorable puppies - wow! 9 of them!

[Billie]

Oh my gosh! Ohhhhhhhhhhh! I want that little one!

[Billie]

Are we having warm fuzzy Thursday?

I'm just now getting to your post, and see that dutchess has posted John's Two Cents by now - I'll be there in a bit!

[Billie]

Thank you Billie for this great thread. I too received the email & you presented it so well.. Love the pledge also. Funny in FIrefox I could not read it as it was black lettering on the dark background. Went to IE & it was white/readable. It seems on my computer Firefox distorts a lot of the colors. One of the last threads I posted at Firefox looked pretty good. When a few hours later I looked at it at IE, it was NOT properly formatted & the colors appeard differently. Not sure if this is the way it should be or if I have some sort of corruption in one or both programs

Thanks, Dolly! Glad you 'got here' this morning, as I also didn't get back after lunch yesterday.

I also have the same problem with Firefox as to colors - which is only ONE of the reasons I don't like Firefox! Have seen too many differences in the way something looks in IE and the way it looks in Firefox. (Not to mention, if you format it in Firefox and try to post it on FR, tables and paragraphs prolly gonna go haywire!)

[Billie]

Hi, dita - I'm still 'finishing' up pings on this post, so I see you, but you may be gone by now.

We used to have 'barn' cats (have never had an inside cat - we've always had dogs), and had a chow that had his favorite kitty - that slept on his back when they napped. It was so cute. (and this from the chow that when we first got him already grown, killed every cat in sight. I hated that, and we FINALLY got him over it so that we could keep both him and outside cats.

[Kitty Mittens]

That is One of the Cutest Pics I have Ever Seen, jaycee! Just Absolutely Adorable!

[Kitty Mittens]

Sorry to Hear PrissyMissy isn't Feeling Well, and am about to Lift her in Prayer.

[JustAmy]

How cute, Kitty. Thank you. Marissa loves it.

She has an appointment tomorrow morning to see her doctor. I told the school today that she would not be back until next week. I want to know why this fever has stayed around for so many days.

[JustAmy]

Ahhh, thank you, Meg. Marissa loves it.

Kittens, bunnies and puppies are her weakness. She probably has others that we have not discovered yet.

[luvie]

He’s really jammin’ isn’t he! :D

[Kitty Mittens]

Dear Amy, I Hope Marissa is Feeling Better Today, and that the Doctor's Report was Good.

[JustAmy]

Thanks so much Kitty. She had a fever of 102.2 again this morning.

We are getting ready for her appointment now. I’m hoping he will give her something to knock out whatever she has. It is not a common cold. She doesm’t have an upset stomach so it doesn’t seem to be the flu. She has had a fever for several days and is very listless.

I’ve been giving her motrin for the fever.

[Kitty Mittens]

Bless her Heart; Lifting More Prayers to our Lord.