This picture (click here) on my cousin's photography blog is so beautiful and tears instantly sprang up and flowed as I remembered my Grandma Mac's hands.
She was a beautiful redhead with freckles and green eyes, she was a strong and determined and capable person who got so much done in her life, she loved her family with a passion. Her hands to me were always that perfect example of all her beauty and strength and love. Grandma (like all 4 of my grandparents and both my parents actually) always looked younger than she was. Except her hands, which I always remembering looking a lot like the sweet hands in that picture. I often saw Grandma rubbing her hands, working out the stiffness and soreness. Much more often though I saw her pick up babies with those hands to smooch their fat cheeks and hug them close. I saw her turning pages of the books she read to us, and later read to my children. I watched her, and later helped her, stir the thick HOT candy sauce and form popcorn balls for Halloween. I saw her mop floors, scrub dishes, wash and iron laundry, and prepare meals. I saw her crochet gifts for others, stopping often to rub and flex her hands, and I will always treasure the last baby blanket she ever made which she made for me when I was pregnant the first time. I saw her hands partake of the sacrament and work in the temple. And one of my all time favorite memories, I saw Grandpa Mac sitting at her bedside, so sweetly and gently holding her beautiful paper-thin hands and telling his gal he loved her.
(okay - I'm bawling now)
Years and years before (as I've heard the story told), their oldest 2 sons were jumping over a small fire they had going (I used to ask why they had a fire going and WHY they were jumping over it - I think it was a small burn pile of weeds and brush, and to answer the other question - they were boys. Having sons of my own now I don't understand that explanation any better but I sure can believe it) Anyway, the older boys were jumping over the fire and their younger sister decided to try but as she jumped over, the flames caught her skirts and petticoats which burst more into flames as she ran in fright. Grandma ran and grabbed her daughter and smothered the flames with her bare hands. Grandma's hands were bandaged and healing for a long time and the story goes that during this time, Grandpa Mac, who "didn't know how" to change diapers or cook before that, suddenly knew how and did ALL of it until the day Grandma didn't need the bandages anymore when he suddenly "forgot" how to change diapers and cook from scratch.
Thank you Kari for the beautiful picture and the sweet trip down memory lane.
