One of the things I enjoy about flying is that I find myself randomly assigned to sit with someone with whom I have so much in common.

On yesterday's flight I sat next to a young man from the Netherlands, and we spent nearly the entire time from Amsterdam to Helsinki in conversation, some of it about the hands.

There are so many ways the hands engage in life, and even if we aren't making something from wood, the wisdom of the hands plays through our lives. My new friend mentioned the pleasure he found in the kneading of dough as he makes bread for his wife, young children and himself.

That is a no-brainer that anyone in his right hands could understand. As we invest our time, thought, and careful (loving) attention through our hands in the preparation of food, it is filled with nutrients unseen, immeasurable but of profound significance. If you want to have impact on the quality of your life and on the lives of those you love, the tools are there, your own hands.