My Father's Hands Sara Etgen-Baker   © Copyright 2023 by Sara Etgen-Baker

Photo from the author. Pop with metal detector..

"Hands are the windows to a man's soul." (unknown)

Not long ago, I went searching for a keepsake I thought I had stored in the back of my closet. I searched and searched but never found whatever it was that sent me on my quest. Instead, I found more. As I rummaged through my possessions—some treasured, some not, I happened upon a collection of photographs of my father suddenly remembering my father’s hands.

I remember my father’s hands as a plumber’s hands—fiercely strong, calloused, rough, knuckle-battered, and dirty after a long-day’s work. Those hands shoveled; unclogged drains and toilets; repaired leaks; and installed pipes, toilets, and bathtubs. Those hands provided.

I remember my father’s hands as a fisherman’s hands—perfectly patient, tenacious, self-confident, and unwavering as he held his fishing line and lure stabile, waiting for a fish to take the bait. “Keep your hands steady. Stay focused,” he prompted me when I asked him to teach me how to fish from his flat-bottom boat. Those hands fished longer than they ‘plumbed,’ rarely missing an opportunity to commune with nature, seldom losing a fish. Those hands fed.

I remember my father’s hands as a treasure hunter’s hands—firm, certain, and capable, listening intently to his metal detector’s tones learning to discriminate the sound a good coin makes compared to the choppy, broken sound a junk target makes. Those hands searched, discriminated, and found soulful answers to life’s complex questions.

I remember my father’s hands as healing hands—kind and comforting as he wiped away the tears that sometimes streamed down my face. Without saying a word, those hands loved, consoled, and encouraged—always righting my world.

I remember my father’s hands—full of strength and hope as he took my trembling hands in his. Those hands gave me courage—the courage to reach up in search of everything impossible, leaving me with the unbridled sense that to do anything less was the greatest impossibility of all. Even now whenever I need courage, I can feel his hand around mine helping me to feel invincible once again.

In my mind’s eye, I often see my father’s hands—every line and every wrinkle. They were full of strength and hope; they were like windows to his soul and told a story about the kind of man he was. I’ll remember my father’s hands for the remainder of my life. I’m grateful for him, for his enduring spirit and presence continues to grace my life despite his passing some years ago.