Dear Man With Calloused Hands,

I love when you take my small dainty hands and hold them in yours at the end of the day. I feel safe with your rough hands enclosing mine so gently. I feel safe because those hands are hardworking hands, hands of a man that wants the best for his family, hands that will work the toughest jobs without complaint. These are the hands of the man I am proud of.

With my hand in yours, I can feel a new callous on your palm and notice more dirt beneath your nails, and I know you took on a tough job today. I entwine your large fingers with my slim ones and I know you endured a demanding day, mentally and physically. I rub the tough, thick joints and the solid muscles in your hands, and I know you deserve a lifetime of appreciation.

It’s hard for me to understand why you take the tough jobs. But I recognize that your hands are capable. Your hands are specialized to accomplish the grueling jobs, intricate jobs, jobs that require intense concentration. Your hands are a gift from God and you are using them to the best of your ability.

Your hands hold my fascination. The way the veins are strung and the tendons twist beneath the tough leathery skin, the heavy calloused fingertips, the thick bones beneath the stubbly back of your hand which twitch with each movement. I have seen your hands come home with grease and dirt caked in your fingerprints, muscles and joints swollen, with a few cuts and bruises. I have seen your hands work, tinker and grasp. I have seen your hands hold a coffee mug to your lips, fold together near your brow while we pray, create a new woodwork and bring life to a broken part. I have seen them cleaned up, too, with nails trimmed, caressing a baby to your chest, your hands gentle enough to keep the baby sleeping. I have seen them pluck at a guitar and glide across the piano keys, your music sweet to my ears.

You are more than just a man with calloused hands. You are a man that other young boys should look up to. You are the type of man America needs more of. You are a man with the willingness to take on the jobs most men may not want. You are a man with the skills to successfully complete tasks that most men may not be qualified for. You are a man with willpower, strength, dignity and selflessness.

And when the year comes that your hands are no longer capable of what they were used to, when they shrivel and contort and they can no longer tinker and grasp, I will be there to rub them for you. I will kiss the swollen joints and the scars from your years of hard work. I will thank you for your callouses.

Sincerely,

The Hands You're Holding

This article is dedicated to all the men in our lives that work the dirty jobs, the jobs that may require tools, the jobs that always require strength mentally and physically. Thank you for your hard work.