“We clasp the hands of those who go before us,/ And the hands of those who come after us,” writes Wendell Berry. One might add that we clasp the hands of those next to us as well, forming not a line, but a web of hands across time.
Whose hand—past, present or future—are you grateful to be holding?
Today, as I write one of the most important letters of my life, I hold the hand of the nameless fourth grade teacher who introduced me to grammar, the effectiveness of words to express my truth. I thank my teachers who opened doors, turned on lights, showed me the way.
I’m grateful for the hands of feminist women, and have clung to them since the first liberation parade in New York City at the tail end of the 60’s. We were supposed to walk on the sidewalk but we spread across the avenue, thousands strong, holding hands.
I remember Dr. Joe Dennis who taught chemistry and was Chemistry Department Head in Texas Tech in the 1950’s and later. His example was perfectly benign and diligent. I am grateful to have known him.