Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Still Crying: Hands

This post is from an anonymous reader.
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I can remember quite vividly my father sitting me down and explaining to me that he would no longer be spanking me with his hands because "hands are for loving." The first thought that crossed my mind as a child was that if "hands were for loving" then he must hate me, especially if I do something wrong. Later, it dawned on me that if hands are for exclusively for  loving, then why aren't wooden spoons for cooking? or belts for holding up pants? As an adult, I am almost offended that he didn't think a child was smart enough to associate him with the object he was hitting me with at the time.

In short, if you have to tell your kids that hands are for loving, you need to think about what love really is. Kids who are loved know it without being told in a twisted, sadistic way. Hands have many purposes, but you don't love with your hands, you love with your whole self. What you do with your hands is only an outward display of who you truly are as a person.


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1 comment:

  1. Ah, the wooden spoon. When I was five (or maybe younger), I got my revenge. I fed the wooden spoon to the dog, and it got chewed beyond all practical purpose. My mom got a new one, but it was rarely used for spanking after that.

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