If you have been following this blog or have read my books/articles, you know that I am a fan of double entendres and homophones. You may read my blog entry titles and realize having read the entry, that I exploited a pun or reworked a familiar adage. Today's entry is no different.
Our little Josiah, like most other children four plus months of age, has decided that exploring his environment by reading articles, going on expeditions, or watching documentaries simply will not suffice. Oh no! He is compelled to focus his attention on the object of interest, and with the all-too-predictable dilation of his pupils signifying his utter anticipation and glee, he reaches out is saliva moistened hand and tries to shove it into his mouth. Yes, our son is gifted. He cannot walk, read, eat tofu, or speak intelligibly yet, but he can get all kinds of random stuff into his salivating, gum-exposed face with pin-point precision. This is why, we keep close watch when there is anything at all, anywhere remote to his grasp. And he has fun with it. It's almost like he is a prowler of prey who crouches quietly, moving toward his victim until...bang! in a loud, guttural shout of triumph, he attempts to devour his next victim. His prior victims have included: hand towels, stuffed animals, pacifiers, parent's shoulders, etc. But the prize, at least in his eyes is...yep: our hands.
You have heard the admonition, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." It means that we must be careful not to offend the one who makes provision for us. Josiah has reworked the meaning of this proverb. You see, he thinks it is a gesture of love and acceptance to grasp his parent's hands, pull them close to his little chest, drag them up to his mouth, and attempt to gum them do death as he giggles until he pukes. That is love, my friends. I guess he figures he won't bite the hand that feeds him...unless he really loves the ones to whom the hand belongs. Now, I am not trying to start a new trend here. It is absolutely NOT cool to go around pouncing upon loved one's hands and shoving them into our mouths--unless we are only a few months old, that is. Can you say, "Non-toxic, alcohol-free hand sanitizer?"
You have heard it said that, "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is the Hand That Rules the World." In his timeless, brilliant poem under this title, William Ross Wallace lauds the beauty and power of motherhood. The time has long since come for there to be two loving sets of hands, each with their own roles, jointly rocking the cradle. This blog is intended to address some of the realities of fathers being viable contributors and supporters in a largely female dominated culture of parenting.
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