The Hand

**Here is wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving day**

With a nice story carrying a beautiful message …

Thanksgiving day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.

Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged but still many would celebrate the Holiday with turkey and other traditional goodies of the season. These the teacher thought would be the subjects of most student’s art, and they were. But Douglas made a different kind of picture.

Douglas was a different kind of boy. He was the teacher’s true child of misery, frail and unhappy. As other children played at recess, Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain Douglas felt behind those eyes. Yes, his picture was different.

When asked to draw a picture of something he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else, just an empty hand.

His abstract image captured the imagination of his peers. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raise Turkeys. Another suggested police officers, because the police protects and cares for people. Still others guessed that it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went untill the teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.

When children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at Douglas’s desk, bent down and asked him, whose hand it was. The little boy looked away and murmured, “It’s your teacher”.

She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him, here and there, as she had with other students. How often had she said, “take my hand Douglas we’ll go outside..” or, “let me show you how to hold your pencil..” or, “lets do this together..”.

Douglas was most thankful for his teacher’s hand. Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.

The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about, teachers teaching, parents parenting, friends showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglass of this world. They might not always say Thanks, but they always remember the hand that reaches out…

Cheers !!

SUMIT