Manicure?

Recently one late-afternoon as i was visiting with some village friends, i was staring down at my hands, and it occurred to me that they - were - FILTHY. And ugly. So. Ugly. I had grime under my nails, scabs and burns and scrapes and stains. It then occurred to me that this had happened not because i've suddenly stopped washing my hands or caring about hygiene. It happened over the course of the day(s) because of how life here just takes over. There is not enough time in the day (apparently) to ever work on "Hand Care". Yeah, i trim and scrub my nails, and wash my hands over and over again. But sometimes a little more TLC is needed - and who on earth has time for such a thing?! Clearly, it's not me.

1. Machete scar from 2 months ago. Still have only a little bit of feeling in the tip of that finger. I'm just happy to still HAVE that finger...

2. Blister turning callous from hand-pumping 10 gallons of water from the well each day (then carrying it about 70 meters to the house).

3. What happens when White Girl tries working in tribal rice field. White Girls CAN slash - they just pay in blood.

4. Skin on all finger tips are losing finger prints - i think this is due to our dish soap - or maybe the soap i use to hand-wash Quinn's diapers. Either way, i'm little miss butterfingers these days.

For awhile i was a little ashamed that my hands (um...and feet) are so grody. Then i was just annoyed. Now, i think i need to just get over it. Even if i did spend the whole weekend scrubbing, soaking, exfoliating and moisturizing - it would all be for naught within a matter of hours.

And some things just can't matter so much. It seems like such a little thing to have ugly, owie hands when several of my friends and neighbors are wasting away and dying from things like TB, hepatitus, or malnutrition. So, i'll take my scars and grime - and just not look so closely at my own hands - but look up more often toward the needs of others.