My New Happy: Hands, and Meeting a Blogging Friend

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Hands, and Meeting a Blogging Friend


I thought it would be fun today to link up with Lisa Jo Baker and her Five Minute Friday Challenge prompt. Every week Lisa Jo posts a word, and the idea is to write for five minutes about whatever pops into your head.  The prompt this week was Hands.

Go

I love my husband's hands.  We started dating when we were only 15, and I remember the first time we held hands, walking down the hallway at our high school.  I felt so elated and like I was part of something special.  We've been married for 24 years now, so I guess I was.  His hands are big and strong and have held me through good times and bad.

I love my children's hands.  I remember the feel of their little baby fists wrapped around my finger when I fed them.  My older son used to hold my face in his chubby little hands when he wanted to make sure I was listening to him.  Now their hands have grown and matured into those of fine young men.

I love my friend's hands.  So many times over the years they have lifted me up when I've needed them.  Helping me with a move, or a sick child, or a fun project.  I hope those hands will continue to be in my life as we get older.

I love my parent's hands, the very first ones I felt as a baby.  They have moved away, and I miss seeing those hands every day.

And lately, I love my fellow blogger's hands.  Reaching through their keyboards to encourage me with a kind word, or to post a nice comment on something I've written. Blogging has come at a time in my life when I really needed it.  All the helping hands have given me a new direction and focus in my life.

I love my own hands.  Through the years I have nurtured many people with them - my husband, my children, my friends, my parents.  They are a bit more wrinkled these days, and certainly not as strong as they used to be.  But there is a lot of history in these hands, and I think there is a lot of life left in them still.

Stop

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting my new blogging friend Susan when she came to the Seattle area for her son's soccer tournament.  Susan and I started our blogs around the same time and quickly found that we have a lot in common.  

When I first told my family I was meeting her for lunch, they said "um...no".  They asked how I knew she was legitimate.  When I pointed them toward her lovely blog, they were not convinced. I guess I've taught them well regarding the dangers of the internet - maybe too well!

They insisted on coming with me to make sure Susan was really Susan.  She was - a wonderful writer with a unique voice - and we had a lovely lunch date.  You can read what she wrote about it on her blog The Most -- Of Every Moment.  Three months ago I could never have imagined that I would have a new friend from the blogging world.  But I do - thank you Susan!




Have a great weekend!

26 comments:

  1. Lana - To be able to write what you did in 5 minutes tells me you are even a much better writer than I thought! So beautiful!
    I remember being a young nurse, and wondering if my chapped hands were beginning to reflect the competency of my mother's hands that I always admired.
    I am grateful for our friendship too Lana - and so happy that your family thought I checked out okay! It was fun to meet them too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Susan! I was a little worried about only having 5 minutes but it was the perfect amount of time. So glad we got to meet in person!

      Delete
  2. Hi Lana. Thanks for this beautiful reflective post. I love all the people you mentioned in this post whom you love and adore! Visiting from FMF. Blessings to you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Anne! I appreciate you stopping by and reading.

      Delete
  3. Enjoyed your post greatly. So glad that you included your own hands in your writing. It was an angle I had not though of - but very real - and very important. Thanks for sharing. Love FMF and the fellow bloggers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for reading Kelli. I really enjoyed participating in FMF.

      Delete
  4. So many hands that shape and mold us! I loved this perspective.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Isn't it amazing how many hands we meet in the most unexpected places! Thank you for sharing your stories. I too have found comfort in the "arms" of friends.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you never know where a helping "hand" might come from! Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  6. What a wonderful post. What would we do without our hands?? Thank you for hsaring. Found you from FMF http://bellesbazaar-heather.blogspot.com/2014/06/hands-5-minute-prompt.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We forget how important our hands are sometimes! Thank you Heather.

      Delete
  7. Lovely post. I think of how many times loving hands have reached out to save me from despair. Glad to have found you on the Midlife Boulevard.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, you met your hubby at 15. That is amazing. And I love the story you wrote. I have those ceramic baby hand tiles to remind me how tiny my boys once were.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My hubby and I have known each other a LONG time! I miss those baby hands sometimes.

      Delete
  9. Hi Lana, I love what you wrote about the special hands in your life... husband, children, parents, friends, bloggers and yours. Such a loving tribute to them.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Five minutes to write, what a neat idea! Love the way you talked about the different hands in your life!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Marie. I was a little worried about the 5 minute time frame, but I really enjoyed it.

      Delete
  11. Lovely post! I like the writing prompts! Also, making that connection with another blogger is awesome!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! It was so wonderful to meet Susan in person!

      Delete
  12. I love that you're able to take such a simple word and really draw out so much complexity and meaning. You have such a caring family! That must have been fun connecting with Susan in person, especially after getting to know her through blogging-such a different way of meeting...reading a person's writings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Holli. It was so fun meeting Susan in person.

      Delete
  13. WOW. You conveyed so much in five minutes - I'm impressed. And I'm so happy Susan wasn't a 20 year old dude in his parent's basement but know exactly what you mean about blogging friends. They're amazing. Here's to hands, connections, and your amazing writing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! Even your comments are funny! Thanks for reading.

      Delete

Reading your comments is one of the best parts of blogging! I read and appreciate them all!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...