There’s just something satisfying about getting your hands dirty.  I mean, actually getting your hands in the dirt.  I had forgotten all about how that felt until today, when I was helping my sister-in-law pot plants.  I have never been into gardening and usually enjoy having clean hands.  But I couldn’t get over how good the dirt felt going between my fingers.

I was going to wear gloves, but that would have been a mistake.  It would have robbed me of the memories I began to recall of getting dirty when I was outside playing as a kid.  I also loved playing in the sand.  I have wonderful memories of sand boxes and playing in the sand at the beach.

There is an innate, natural feeling that draws one into the textures of dirt and sand.  And then there is clay.  I love playing with clay!  You can make stuff with clay and keep it.  Dirt and sand wash away, but clay stays!  

It must seem like I’m a little kid writing this.  But you know what?  That’s what is really terrific about getting your hands dirty.  When we are young, discovery is how we learn.  Touching is one of the basic ways we discover things.  We can literally get in touch with nature by getting our hands dirty.

Getting your hands dirty is really a great way to learn.  It is also a part of many occupations that are necessary in our daily lives.  If we were to take out the professions in which people get their hands dirty, our life as we know it would fall apart.  

Therefore, I intend to incorporate playing or working in the dirt, playing in the sand and making things with clay.  I think this will bring about a new awakening and appreciation for physical work and play in my life, all because I got my hands dirty today!