A Hand to Hold 美文.docVIP

A Hand to Hold My?dear,?you?are?so?lucky.?I?used?to?have?what?you?have.”??The?well-dressed?elderly?lady?seated?in?the?church?pew?next?to?me?took?me?quite?by?surprise?as?she?leaned?in?and?spoke?to?me?following?the?Sunday?service.?Somewhat?befuddled,?I?managed?to?utter?a?quiet?thank?you,?although?at?that?instant?I?was?a?little?unsure?of?the?meaning?behind?her?words.?What?did?I?possess?that?this?obviously?well-off?woman?did?not??Strands?of?pearls?adorned?her?neck,?and?I?could?not?help?but?notice?the?many?sparkling?gemstones?that?graced?her?aging?fingers.?As?I?looked?down?at?my?own?hands,?the?answer?became?apparent.?Interlocked?in?my?hand?was?the?hand?of?my?husband.?Listening?to?the?sermon?together?on?Sunday?mornings?had?led?us?to?a?natural?closeness?to?God?and?to?each?other.?More?often?than?not,?my?husband?would?reach?for?my?hand?during?the?sermon?or?put?his?arm?around?mine?during?the?time?of?silent?prayer?and?reflection.?This?time?together?was?sacred?to?us?in?more?than?just?the?obvious?way.?With?our?two?young?daughters?in?their?Sunday?school?rooms,?we?reconnected?and?recharged?after?a?hectic?week?of?work,?playgroups,?and?diaper?changes.?When?I?looked?across?the?pew?at?the?woman?next?to?me,?I?realized?that?she?sat?alone.?Most?likely,?the?husband?whose?hand?once?held?hers?on?Sunday?mornings?had?passed?on?and?left?her?with?the?memories?of?what?I?now?share?with?my?husband.?“I?am?so?lucky,”?I?whispered?to?her?in?reply.?As?I?stood?up?and?prepared?to?leave?the?church,?I?looked?up?at?my?husband,?Allen,?and?smiled.?What?I?have?with?him?is?indeed?a?special?blessing.?As?a?thirty-something,?stay-at-home?mom,?I?relish?the?opportunity?to?talk?with?other?women?my?age?and?swap?stories?about?our?young?children.?However,?when?the?topic?turns?from?life?in?the?preschool?carpool?line?to?complaints?about?spouses,?I?become?uncharacteristically?mute.?Stories?of?husbands?who?do?not?equally?contribute?to?child?care?or?housework?are?commonplace.?The?same?holds?for?the?husbands?who?travel?fo