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Holding Hands
by
Loyal Wray
To hold the hand of someone you love is one of the most
wondrous things in this life.
The courage that holding a parent's hand gives us as children. Knowing that someone who loves us without reservation and
who will always protect us is there at our side.
The wonder and almost painful excitement of a young boy or girl... holding the hand of a school sweetheart. The pride and
embarrassment of holding hands on a first date.
The special feeling that goes with holding the hand of someone we have chosen to share a life with. Someone we want to share
in bringing our children into this world and making their lives as wonderful as we possibly can.
A wedding ceremony with all it's pomp and circumstance. The vows exchanged, the kissing of the bride, the dancing
afterward... even the sharing of one's body that takes place after the guests have long since found their way
home... one
photograph or memory will often stand out among the many taken or cherished of that day. A moment
alone... holding
hands and each looking into the very soul of the other.
The shared intimacy of a young married couple in a new social setting... both unsure and frightened in a room of strangers.
Unable to hold and reassure one another... but able to reach out and squeeze the hand of the other. To send a message that
says "I'm here for you. You are my special, chosen someone."
Sitting at the bedside of a parent who is dying. Unable to find words to express the
love... the hurt and sense of loss you are feeling... the coming together of
hands... yours and theirs for a final bonding. A gripping of hands that tries to say it all even
as tears and overwhelming grief make speech impossible.
The pain of childbirth... made more bearable by clutching the hand of the man who tries so
hard... but cannot share this pain
with you.
Your baby's hand as it squeezes your finger for the first time...
Your child... life having come full circle, holding your hand and knowing that this world is a safe place with you at their
side. Their first day in school... the first day in church... their first
party... feeling the sweaty little palm that is so
afraid to let go.
The fights and quarrels that could be so quickly ended if one would only reach out to the other. Just reach out and take the
other's hands and say "I love you. Nothing else matters more than that."
Holding the hand of a friend. Consoling a friend. Sharing joy with a friend. "Just being there" for a friend. Holding the hand of a
friend can say so many things.
And then... you can hardly believe how soon that day arrives. The children are gone. It's just the two of you. You sit at a
kitchen table and wonder what comes next. You take the hand of this person who has been such a large part of your life these
many years. You examine the hand closely. It's no longer young. The skin is chapped and
wrinkled and veins are there for all to
see. For everyone but you...
What YOU see is the hand you have held in sickness and in health. During good times and bad. For richer or poorer. You
squeeze that hand. The message is the same now as it was then. "I'm here for you. You are my special, chosen someone."
I am comfortable with my bachelorhood. I cherish my time alone...
But, sometimes... when things aren't going so well. Or even when things are going just great, I miss holding hands.
I miss it a lot..........................................
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