January 2011
When Pudsy the one-eyed bear appeared on television promoting the Save The Children appeal, there was a fantastic response.
How did the worthy recipients of some of that money respond I wonder for few letters are written in this text-twitter age.
But sometimes hands can convey more than laboured words spoken or written. One can think of the African language for instance where a thanking expression is rendered more by action than words as mothers teach their children to receive gently with both hands.
The firm handshake, or the limp one, can tell us more about the person than perhaps the charming smile. Hand gestures, without words, can speak volumes illustrating deep-felt emotion.
The hand - what a miracle - for of the five million tiny sensory receptors in the body, nearly a third are in the hand.
Although D.N.A is of prime importance in police work, the finger print is still a valuable tool for those engaged in crime detection. A child's fingerprints are formed, we are told, long before birth even around the eighteenth week of life. One cannot help wondering sometimes if fate is sealed!
We hear accounts of healing hands achieving seemingly miraculous results. Scientists claim to have been able to record certain rays which can emanate from those hands when placed near the subject's body.
Pianists and craft-smiths of every kind rely on the suppleness of their hands and the dexterity of their fingers. Those whose living depend upon such wonders of nature normally insure their hands, but the rest of us tend to take them for granted without giving sufficient care to protect from serious injury.
I'm afraid I have come a long way from Pudsy the one-eyed gear. But it would be good to think that, whilst children are amused by Pudsy, they could at the same time be encouraged to form their own sponsorships for charity. The importance too of thanking could be underlined as sponsorship dues are collected. For all too often we hear of children who do not thank those who gave them presents - often very expensive ones.
Yes, Pudsy has certainly made us think as well as donate.