Have you ever looked at your hands? I mean, have you ever taken a really good look at them before?

As a piano student, I look at my hands a great deal. I stretch my fingers when I'm not busy, since I'm trying to increase the range of keys I can play. Sometimes, I try looking at my hands through a stranger's eyes to see what people could learn from my hands.

The first thing people notice is how thin my fingers are. Some have described my hands as being "dainty." I suppose my hands really are delicate--I have some minor scars on my knuckles from punching a training bag in my kung fu class. I like to think that the scars give my hands some character, since they are otherwise plain. No long, manicured nails for me--I keep my nails meticulously short because I play the piano and do a lot of typing. I wear nail polish on my left thumb only, and even then, it is clear polish, practically invisible. Also, I don't adorn my hands with rings because they are uncomfortable and make me overly nervous. Well, I may have plain-looking hands, but that doesn't mean I'm a boring person.

My hands are a lot like me. I think of my hands as being steady and reliable. I can use a camcorder with minimal shaking; I can draw well and write quickly. My hands assist me in countless tasks every day; I like to be helpful and useful. Yes, no one in the world has hands that are exactly like mine, and no one in the world is exactly like me. My hands look young and promising to me. I like what I see in my hands.

So, what do you see in yours?