In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to write a post on something I’ve been thinking about more and more as I age. One thing I’m so very thankful for is my hands. Without them, it would be nearly impossible to write.
Don’t take this the wrong way, I’m not trying to rub it in for anyone with a disability.
My hands are very near and dear to my heart. They do everything for me (and sometimes I wonder if they have a mind of their own) and without them I would be lost. If you really think about it, hand are the most basic and useful writing tool EVER.
I do my best to take very good care of my hands, keeping them moisturized, ensuring any wounds heal well, and avoiding too much strenuous labor that may pull muscles or break bones (which is not to say I won’t haul wood or something, but I do watch out for injuries). I’m oftentimes meticulous about my nails, how they’re painted, the length, and the shape.
Despite my efforts, I can feel them starting to change. I get aches and pains in my wrists, and the joints of my fingers get sore. My hands occasionally swell too. I was diagnosed with a circulation disorder, where my hands and feet often can’t hold heat, due to poor blood flow. Half the fingers on my hands have gone numb and white due to lack of circulation and cold conditions, on multiple occasions. It’s times like those that I really start worrying. I know that if an extremity doesn’t get blood for too long, it can cause nerve damage and may need amputation. Generally I run for the closest bathroom and run warm to hot water over my hands, but there are times when that just doesn’t seem to work. So I pinch and squeeze my fingers, literally pushing the blood back into the tips and getting it flowing again. I don’t know how I’d get used to typing and writing without a couple fingers.
For me, losing my hands, or even some fingers, could be devastating, and there are those out there who live every day without hands or without other seemingly vital body parts. Each and every day that my hands and fingers work with the skill and precision I need, I give thanks. I give thanks for their hard work and dedication, and for all the things I put them through, and they still won’t leave me.
Dear Hands,
Thank you so much for being there for me.
Thanks for all the help. Thanks for sticking
by my sides, right and left. I love you both.
-Lakin
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all took some time to reflect on what you’re truly grateful for, be it body parts, loved ones, events, items, or whatever. If you love something and are thankful for it, let it know. =]
Or let me know with a comment. It’s up to you.
I look forward to hearing from you. Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend.
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