Hands of an Angel

For as long as I can remember, my mom hasn't liked her hands because of their appearance. And, I will admit, she probably will never be asked to be a hand model. But there are many reasons why I will always love and cherish those hands.

Her hands held and rocked me as a baby. With those hands she fed me, bathed me, changed me, and tickled me. It was to those hands that I took my first brave steps. Whenever I felt sad or upset, I would find solace in those hands.

With her hands, my mom patiently taught me to write, to play the piano, to set a table. Those hands drove me to all sorts of activities and clapped at performances, even when they were terrible. Her hands are skilled at brushing, curling, washing, blowdrying, straightening, crimping, and braiding hair.

Those wonderful hands helped me learn to drive, iron clothes, and cook dinner. Her hands edited countless papers, and helped me study for many tests. With her hands she helped me get ready on my wedding day. Her hands reached out to me to comfort me when life seemed too hard to bear. And, when her hands couldn't touch me physically, they were always quick to pick up the phone when I needed some extra support.

Her hands have made thousands of meals for her family and for others. Her busy hands have planted gardens and pulled weeds, painted and decorated bedrooms, cleaned mess after mess, and done countless loads of laundry. Those hands have wiped tears and created smiles.

My mother's hands are a tribute to the great service she performs.

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." Abraham Lincoln

"When we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with-- here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed, heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind." Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Happy Mother's Day! I love you Mom



(Thanks to Kim Waddoups for the quotes from her fabulous Mother's Day talk)