tonight's question — whose hands took care of you today

The last question of the week — whose hands took care of you today?

Someone's hands kneaded the atta. Someone's ironed the uniform hanging ready for tomorrow. Someone's held the scooter steady, cut the fruit, drew the water, signed the diary. A whole day is held up by hands, most of them unthanked, some of them at this table.

This is gratitude without the homework-word "gratitude," which children have learnt to hear as an instruction. Take your turn too — and if the child's own hands did anything for anyone today, name it plainly, once, without turning it into a lesson.

Then let the question go. Hands rest on Sunday nights; so can the words.