Can you find the irony?

An ironic observation struck me today. My blog name is A Mother's Hands. The explaination I provide for that title is sentimental.

I took a good look at my hands recently. They are almost always chapped due to the repeatitive washing. My hands are frequently being covered in some sort of sticky or greasy something. My fingertips are rough from all of the cleaning products that I use on a daily basis sanitizing and scrubbing the constant messes. I can't get my fingernails to grow even the slightest because they inevitably get ripped off. Finally, they are currently stained purple with beet juice. There is nothing sentimental about the way my hands look right now.

But, when my children fall these are the hands that pick them up. When they cry, it's my hands that wipe away the tears. It's my hands that they hold through parking lots and while crossing streets. I use my hands to clap and play with my children.

A mother's hands may not always look the best but they are the hands their children depend on. Even though my hands are not beautiful they do the most important work. They may not look sentimental but the work they do is.