The Pinkie, The Thumb, and The Door Prop

when I'm older I'm going to tell my child what hands are for

They're for holding hands and your stomach when you laugh too hard; 

that hands are for holding books and pencils

but there will be a day when my kiddo comes home with tears in their eyes

and then I'll tell them the sad side of hands

that they are also for covering red eyes and wiping away tears

and maybe one day my child will ask what I did with my hands when I was young

and I'll tell them the story of the Pinkie, the Thumb, and the door prop

that the pinkie is for holding on, and I used them to hold on to car doors and my father

I'll tell them that the area where finger meets palm is for holding doors

and I held a lot of doors when I was young

especially for my father, even when he slammed the door shut and locked it for good

and the thumb is for letting go

my father used his thumb on me, he let go

and maybe this is when my little angel will ask if it hurt

and I'll remind them of the flu shot last week, and tell them a thousand times worse

and maybe my child will cry (because flu shots, and any shot for the matter, hurts)

And before the words "please, don't leave me like your dad did to you, papa"

I'll tell them that my pinkie is for their hand now

that they will never have to use the door prop until I'm too old to open doors on my own

and that the only time my thumb will be used, is when I'm letting go of my money to buy my angel a gift

And I'll wipe my little darlings, no, my little angel's eyes and tell them what hands are for

that they are for holding other hands and laughter hurt stomachs

Holding books and pencils

that the pinkie is for holding on

that the area in between fingers and the palm if for holding doors

and that the thumb should rarely be used because it's for letting go