“A story shared with me by my very wise Gramps. It comes from Faith to Doubt by Steven Batchelor:
During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?” Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. “Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello.'” I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
__
As for me, I spend much of my day with a pen in hand. Come to think of it, while I am the one holding the pen, I think the opportunity to put pen to paper–the writing process–has held me over the years.” (Berkeley, California)
(Land of the Ohlone people)
Submit your own hand portrait with a piece of wisdom or care here: ToHoldAHand@gmail.com
Why hands? Click here for the story.
Follow on Instagram @AHand2Hold
