by Debbie Wiens

Created on: April 18, 2009

One evening, after a day filled with park playing, and sand digging and bubble chasing a Grandmother lovingly wrapped her grandchild in a big fluffy towel after his bath. She drew the child up onto her lap and began rocking in the comfy chair, and softly humming. This was their routine when the boy stayed with "Mama". The child held her grandmother's hand, and stroked it with his tiny fingers. He then looked at his own hands and ran the tiny fingers over his wrinkled skin.

"Look Mama, my hands are like yours now!" the boy exclaimed, seeming somewhat excited.

"Yes, they are." Grandmother replied, with a soft chuckle, and continued to rock the little boy and hum to him softly.

"Mommy says the water crinkles my hands, but when they dry they will be smooth again."

"Mommy is correct"

"Don't your hands ever dry, Grandma?"

To this the Grandmother had to give a laugh. "Child my hands aren't wet all the time! Water is not what has wrinkled my hands."

The boy was silent for a couple of minutes - - no doubt pondering this news. He began to stroke his grandmother's hands again.

"I know what crinkled your hands grandma"

"You do? You must be very smart! Tell me what keeps my hands wrinkly all the time."

"Mommy says that you have worked very hard for all your life, which is a really, really long time. I think that all that work is part of it.", the boy said, with a slight wrinkle to his forehead. He was obviously giving this a lot of though. "Mommy says that you used to do with her the things you do with me playing in the park, pushing me on the swings, digging in the sand, and blowing bubbles with me. Making me grilled cheese sandwiches, and sitting up with me at night until the scary dreams go away." The Grandmother felt a lump developing in her throat as the child spoke. "You hold my hands when we walk somewhere, and stroke my hair when we watch a movie, and stir the juice in the pitcher until it's all mixed up."

"These are all things that I do for you, and I did for your mommy when she was just little. But how do these things keep my hands wrinkled?"

"I had a favorite teddy bear a while back, when I was little. I took that bear everywhere, Mommy says. And I played with it all the time, and slept with it. Mommy says that she finally had to put the bear up on a shelf for me, that I had just wore it out. It's saggy, and torn, and faded in places. Mommy says that sometimes when you really love something, sometimes it just looks a little worse for wear, but those are the signs of really being loved. I figure that's what happened to your hands, Grandma. Because you love us sooooo much that we just wore out your hands. But we won't put you up on a shelf."

The Grandmother held the child close, and let a little tear slip from her eye. Such a wise child, she thought.

Learn more about this author, Debbie Wiens.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.