THE HAND
At first it sounded like a Thanksgiving story, but the more I
reflected on it, the more appropriate it seemed for any time of
the year. The way I heard it, the story went like this:
Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class
a fun assignment -- to draw a picture of something for which they
were thankful.
Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged,
but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other
traditional goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought,
would be the subjects of most of her student's art. And they
were.
But Douglas made a different kind of picture. Douglas was a
different kind of boy. He was the teacher's true child of misery,
frail and unhappy. As other children played at recess, Douglas
was likely to stand close by her side. One could only guess at
the pain Douglas felt behind those sad eyes.
Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture of
something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing
else. Just an empty hand.
His abstract image captured the imagination of his peers. Whose
hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer,
because farmers raise turkeys. Another suggested a police
officer, because the police protect and care for people. Still
others guessed it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so
the discussion went -- until the teacher almost forgot the young
artist himself.
When the children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at
Douglas' desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was. The
little boy looked away and murmured, "It's yours, teacher."
She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him
here or there, as she had the other students. How often had she
said, "Take my hand, Douglas, we'll go outside." Or, "Let me show
you how to hold your pencil." Or, "Let's do this together."
Douglas was most thankful for his teacher's hand.
Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.
The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something
about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends
showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglases of the
world. They might not always say thanks. But they'll remember the
hand that reaches out.
__________
Steve Goodier
Publisher@... is a professional
speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for
more information, or to sign up for his FREE newsletter of Life, Love
and Laughter at
http://LifeSupportSystem.com.
