I had another one of those interactions this week that I admit left me slightly speechless. I’ll come back to it in a moment. But first, let’s visit a poem whose refrain is familiar enough to have worked its way into pop culture at large.
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
William Ross Wallace
Blessings on the hand of women!
Angels guard its strength and grace,
In the palace, cottage, hovel,
Oh, no matter where the place;
Would that never storms assailed it,
Rainbows ever gently curled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Infancy’s the tender fountain,
Power may with beauty flow,
Mother’s first to guide the streamlets,
From them souls unresting grow—
Grow on for the good or evil,
Sunshine streamed or evil hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Woman, how divine your mission
Here upon our natal sod!
Keep, oh, keep the young heart open
Always to the breath of God!
All true trophies of the ages
Are from mother-love impearled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Blessings on the hand of women!
Fathers, sons, and daughters cry,
And the sacred song is mingled
With the worship in the sky—
Mingles where no tempest darkens,
Rainbows evermore are hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
It’s beautiful, isn’t it, that collection of words that reminds us of the power, the mystery, the great privilege we have as mothers in nurturing and guiding the generation entrusted to our care? So much of our duty rests in our minds and hearts, in keeping a right perspective and holding fast to an uncompromised vision of the calling God has set before us. The words of our lips. The smile on our face.
But also, our hands.
A mother’s hands are influential. From the moment a child is placed under our care, it is our hands that shape so much of their world. The care we take in meeting the physical needs of our children is the stuff of legend. Stroking a cheek, changing a diaper, pressing sticky dough into biscuits, sorting laundry, easing a loose tooth from the mouth of a nervous child, wiping fingerprints from the windows… all the work of our hands. We are diligent, even when we are on autopilot, to engage our hands in the tasks given to us as our sacred trust.
Which brings me back to that interaction. Briefly, it was this: a mother, several years into homeschooling, her oldest still in the elementary years. Her discomfort with the child’s words and actions, and how they seemed to obsessively represent what the child was exposed to via screens. Her lack of ability to fathom how to stop the cycle, to interrupt the unwelcome content that had become a part of her home and family had her stumped.
My answer: her hands.
Look, this isn’t about the evils of screens. It’s not about the games you allow your kids to play or not, or where your family has drawn the line in terms of MPAA ratings suitable for viewing. This isn’t about what defines “wholesome,” or where the limits are, or whether something is “not all bad,” or so popular that if your kid hasn’t seen it, he or she is out of the loop.
This is about our hands, and the power they hold.
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
The hand that rocks the cradle can pick up the remote and change the channel. The hand that rocks the cradle can reclaim the phone. The hand that rocks the cradle can switch off the iPad. The hand that rocks the cradle can refuse to buy the book, the game, the streaming access. The hands that rock the cradle can refuse to drive the car to that event.
If the brain and the soul and the heart attached to the hands is uneasy with the atmosphere of the cradle, the hands can alter it. That power exists. That power is yours to wield.
Please, don’t fall into the trap of feeling helpless as your children grow. Don’t default into allowing the culture of your home to play host to that which does not align with your values simply because you misunderstand the how large a role you play in cultivating that soil. Your hands can stay as purposeful in the care and nurture of your ten or fifteen year-old as they were in the same tasks with your toddler.
Blessings on the hand of women!
Angels guard its strength and grace
It’s a large task. A daunting one. One that requires a confidence and bravery many of us have not realized we possess. But no one said it was easy to rule the world. So stake your claim, Momma. And rock that cradle.