The Kissing Hand
Blog | Family | Growing Pains
Hannah went to church camp for the first time this past weekend. She clocked three days and two nights of crazy, game-playing-Jesus-praising fun, while her family marveled at the quiet house left in her wake. As the first day of camp drew near, I battled a keen sense of anxiety. After all, this was the girl who cried every day at preschool because she “missed her mommy.” This was the kindergartner who drained her sweet teacher of hugs when the homesick blues struck during carpet-square time. This is the child who prefers home over just about any other place in the world. Yet with a new adventure looming ahead, my home-loving Hannah showed no sense of anxiety herself. She was simply giddy at the thought of “finally going to camp” like her brother and sister had done for years.
Before I drove her ninety miles across the state for her long-awaited turn, I pulled my middle child onto my lap and read her Audrey Penn’s classic children’s book, The Kissing Hand. In this precious story about trying something new, a mama raccoon offers gentle assurance to her little raccoon who is nervous about going to school for the first time.
I know a wonderful secret that will make your nights at school seem as warm and cozy as your days at home, this wise mama says as she holds her worried one.
The little raccoon wiped his tears and looked interested. A secret? What kind of a secret?
A very old secret, mama whispered.
I learned it from my mother, and she learned it from hers. It’s called the Kissing Hand.
And so this furry mama who longed to calm her little one’s heart, spreads open his tiny fingers into a fan and planted a kiss right in the middle of his palm.
Now, she told him, whenever you feel lonely and need a little loving from home, just press your hand to your cheek and think, ‘Mommy loves you. Mommy loves you.” And that very kiss will jump to your face and fill you with toasty warm thoughts.
When Hannah and I had finished the story, I gave my young camper a kiss right in the center of her palm, and I slipped a small stuffed heart into her pillow as a reminder of her mommy’s love (Yet another great idea from my creative friend, Sherry.) 
“If you miss me when you lie down at nighttime,” I said, “Just lift your kissing hand to your cheek, place your head on this little heart, and remember that I love you and I’ll see you soon.”
Hannah’s eyes shone brightly as she thought about my words. Then she tilted her head and said, “And, of course, if I STILL feel sad, I can just ask Jesus to hold me with His Kissing Hands, too.”
Tears blurred my vision as I soaked up the sight of my big-little girl and pictured my Savior’s nail-scarred hands gently framing her flushed pink cheeks.
“You know Hannah,” I said as I picked up her pillow and placed it on top of her suitcase. “I’ll leave that little heart in your pillow case, but I think Jesus’ Kissing Hands are all you’re really going to need while you’re gone.”
My blond-headed girl flashed me a grin and flung her tanned arms around my neck.
Humbled by my little one’s faith, I sniffed the sweet smell of her hair, stroked the warm soft skin on her back, and murmured, “If I start to miss you while you’re gone, I think I’ll just ask Jesus to hold me with His Kissing Hands, too!”
The Overflow: “People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them… “ Mark 10:13
The Overflow: “People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them… “ Mark 10:13
She loved it! She did admit that the nights were tough, but her sweet counselor heard her crying and climbed beside her and gave her a back rub and told her a story. Just like home! Those counselors are amazing— Jesus in the flesh! Hannah’s still singing all the silly camp songs much to her big brother’s annoyance 🙂
She got your letter on the first day. Thanks for writing her. She read each one aloud to me on the drive home 🙂
Hope your week’s been a good one.
What a precious way to leave your sweet Hannah at camp. You are such an awesome Mom, no wonder she never wants to leave you! So how did she like camp?