Saturday, June 16, 2007

His Hands were Huge

I remember looking at my Dad when I was young and thinking how big he was. I remember the warm and vast secure grip of his hand in mine as we walked to the town park. He towered above me and his strong arms and hands soon pushed me on the swing to heights I’d never experienced. Those same hands later balanced me on my two wheel bike and guided me down the sidewalk, releasing me to perfect balance and success on the path. His strong arms guided me down the aisle on my wedding day. Just as he released me on the swing to new heights, he released me to new choices and new experiences as a married woman.
Now, when I see a dad and his child walking together, I wonder if the child thinks of Dad as one of the biggest people he or she knows. In reality, my dad wasn’t all that big, but I will always think of him as bigger than life-size. It was his loving grip on my life that made him seem like a warm loving giant in a fairytale that cared and protected. I hope the children, I see, will be as fortunate as I and experience a warm, large, and secure grip on their life as they grow.