Grandma’s Hands

“Grandma, how do you keep your hands so soft?”

We were sitting in grandma and grandpa’s apartment visiting around Christmas and Cassie and I were holding her hands. I envisioned all the time she spent in the kitchen over the years - baking desserts, cooking meals for family gatherings and holidays, washing loads of dishes.

I felt her smooth skin and rubbed my finger over her polished fingernail as I had always done as a little girl.

I expected her to reveal some top secret hand-care routine she picked up at the nail salon.

93 years of life and her hands were as smooth as a newborn’s skin.

She sat there in silence for a moment and then looked up with a smile.

“Lotion.”