Holding Hands

Seeing two children witness their mum experience violence was sad. Seeing the three year old boy cry was upsetting. But when the four year old girl watched as if this was nothing out of the ordinary I just wanted to cry.

They both took hold of my hands as if I wasn't a stranger who had just walked up to them in the street. They kept hold of my hands as we watched the adults continue to grapple and shout at each other. They kept hold of my hands as the two adults, noticing my presence, try to end the physical fighting. They kept hold of my hands as the two pulled away from each other and as he ran off and she shouted after him. They kept hold of my hands as the police came round the corner, as one spoke to her and others ran after the man. They kept hold of my hands as we followed their mum through the market back to the police station, the younger one only letting go a moment to dive in and under some bicycle rails, only to run and grab hold of my hand again.

Holding hands is underrated: it can give comfort, human contact, coveys security and safety, caring, love...and while you are holding hands its very hard to use them as weapons.

Alice Walker, author of The Colour Purple, was shot while playing with her brothers, aged 8 with a BB pellet...as she said:

"How sad now never to see men holding hands, while everywhere one looks they are holding guns."

Indira Gandhi put it like this:

"You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist."

Anne Frank once said:

"How true Daddy's words were when he said: all children must look after their own upbringing. Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."