When I reflect upon the men I most greatly admire, I see their hands. Some of these men have since passed and some are still living. They are not many, but all of them I see their hands. Old and young, this is the trait by which I know them all. And when I think of them, I see their hands stretched out, fingers wide as they share wisdom in word. I see their hands gripping tools, pens, books as they share wisdom in deed. And I see their hands fold as they pat a brother on the shoulder or shake his hand, sharing love in deed as well. In all of this, I notice the undeniable strength in those hands. It is characteristic of the men themselves and it inspires me to be strong as well, to share wisdom and love in word and deed.
This all comes to mind as I have come fresh from the movie theater (where I can too often be found). I saw Spielberg's new masterpiece "Lincoln" and was taken with the title character. Of course, history and media portray men as they see fit and not necessarily as the men truly were. That said, I do not know who Lincoln truly was (whether he was this man portrayed by Daniel Day-Louis or not), but I do know that the character displayed in this film is to be admired. His resolve and wisdom were uncanny and his graceful delivery of such attributes was incredible. And all of this could be seen in his hands.
What caught me was his interaction with the men my age (mid-20s). He was patient with them, encouraging. And he always left them with a pat on the shoulder from his big, firm hands. It reminded me of my mentors and the comfort I find under their hands as they pat me on the shoulder. I remembered one in particular who used to pat me on the head - same thing. It is a gesture as old as the sun. A gesture that says, "You're doing great, just hang in there." It is the physical pass-down of wisdom and strength.
It has carried me through hard times and I hope to pass it down myself one day. I don't exactly have the strongest hands in the world, but I pray they are enough to share wisdom and love to the coming ages as it has been shared to me.
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