 Hands Help Us Reach, Hold, and Care Hands can pick up things down low… and grab things heading for the sky. They help us reach what we need and steady ourselves along the way. For children, this is often where helping begins—retrieving something that fell, holding onto a railing, or offering a hand to a friend. Hands can salute a commander… and feed a salamander. They can collect a pet that starts to meander. In these playful moments, children learn responsibility. Helping doesn’t have to be serious or heavy. Sometimes it’s simply caring for another living thing.  Hands Help Things Grow Hands can plant a seed in the ground… and show their delight when a new leaf is found. This is one of the most beautiful lessons hands can teach: patience. When children plant something and wait for it to grow, they learn that helping often means nurturing over time. Hands can pick a peach, peel its skin… add some flour and sugar, and pour it in a tin. Later, hands can remove that pie from the oven and— with the help of a fork— eat something all would be lovin’. Helping in the kitchen is a wonderful way for children to feel included and capable. It also shows them how many steps of helping go into something we enjoy together.  Hands Help at Home Hands can clear a table and wash dishes. They can write in a journal your very own wishes. It takes hands to brush teeth and comb hair… and help you put on the things you wear. These everyday tasks may seem ordinary, but to a child, they are confidence builders. Helping at home teaches children that they are valued contributors, not just observers.  Everyone Uses Hands to Help Who uses hands? We all do. Think of all the people, not just you. Doctors use hands to check your tummy or throat. A nurse uses them to bandage an injury and record it in a note. A dentist checks teeth or puts on braces. A shoe salesman ties brand-new laces. Firefighters hold hoses to put out fires. Mechanics use their hands to change tires. Police officers drive cars. Astronomers hold telescopes to gaze at faraway stars. Artists paint pictures. Musicians play. Teachers write, guide, and plan every day. When children see how hands are used across the world, they begin to understand that helping is universal. Every job, every role, every person contributes in some way.  Hands, Technology, and Thought Computers and smartphones still cannot tell what you are thinking, but need the help of hands to tap out the linking. Even in a digital world, hands remain essential. They are how ideas move from our hearts and minds into the world. Hands Express Gratitude and Joy In church and at home, hands express gratitude in prayer. Hands clap at concerts when the performance has flair. Hands love to do their part— especially when expressing love from the heart. And perhaps the most meaningful use of hands in one’s life is the holding of hands between parent and child, and husband and wife. These moments remind children that helping is deeply connected to love.  Why HANDS ARE FOR HELPING Matters
I wrote HANDS ARE FOR HELPING to give children a gentle, memorable way to understand how their actions affect others. The message is simple but lasting: hands are powerful, and with that power comes choice. Make sure that your hands are used for good only, and you will find that you will never be lonely. Helping builds connection. It builds confidence. And it builds kinder children who grow into kinder adults. Author: Sally Huss, The Happy Artist Related Topics: helping others, kindness for kids, social emotional learning, children’s picture books, empathy and cooperation
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 n the town of Tandumtoo, politeness isn’t just encouraged — it’s practically a way of life. People say “Thank you” the way they breathe. It’s instinctive. Automatic. Almost musical. So when someone forgot to say “Thank you,” it caused a full-blown civic emergency. That’s where my story, HOW THE GOLD GOT INTO THE GOLDEN RULE?, begins — with a berry, a broken custom, and one very blue fellow named Willy Saladheimer. Willy had done what any decent citizen of Tandumtoo would do: he shared a tandumberry from his own bush with a newcomer. A small kindness. A friendly gesture. Nothing fancy. But then something unthinkable happened.  The newcomer took the berry… and walked away. No smile. No nod. No “Thank you.” In Tandumtoo, that’s not just rude — it’s emotionally destabilizing. Poor Willy was devastated. His feelings were hurt. He turned blue (which in Tandumtoo is a very visible sign of sadness). His friend George tried to help, even offering Willy shelter under his coat while they figured out what had gone wrong. Naturally, Willy said “Thank you” for that — because that’s what people do in Tandumtoo. And soon, the situation escalated.  When politeness is the glue that holds a town together, one missing “Thank you” can cause cracks in the foundation. So the elders were called. And when the elders meet, everyone listens — sometimes from behind doors and windows, because in Tandumtoo, even eavesdropping is done politely. As the story unfolds, the town collectively grapples with an impossible idea: Could someone truly not know they’re supposed to say “Thank you”? To the residents of Tandumtoo, gratitude isn’t a rule you memorize — it’s a reflex. You say “Thank you” when someone helps you, gives you something, compliments you, or even passes you the news of Willy’s blues. “Thank you” flows through this story the way kindness flows through life when we let it.  But then comes the twist — and this is where the gold comes in. When the newcomer is finally questioned, he isn’t defensive. He isn’t rude. He’s simply… different. In his culture, gratitude isn’t expressed with words at all. It’s expressed with gold. Actual gold. Suddenly, the town hall is filled with clattering riches, overturned chairs, stunned silence, and a profound realization: gratitude can look different depending on where you come from — but its value is universal.  And yet, the conclusion is beautifully simple. Even with all that gold, the people of Tandumtoo know something deeper. Kindness and politeness — the sincere acknowledgment of another human being — are worth more than treasure. The newcomer adapts. He bends his tradition. And he leaves behind what he calls the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In Tandumtoo, that means forgetting the gold and remembering the words. Just say, “Thank you.” Why This Story Still Matters
I wrote HOW THE GOLD GOT INTO THE GOLDEN RULE? to make children laugh — but also to gently remind adults of something we often forget: appreciation changes things. It changes how people feel. It changes how communities function. It even changes the color of the day. In a world that often moves too fast, where courtesy gets skipped and kindness gets assumed, this little story asks us to pause — and acknowledge one another. You don’t need gold. You don’t need grand gestures. Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can give is two simple words, spoken sincerely: Thank you.  Christmas has a way of reminding us of things we forget the rest of the year. Not the big things — the small, quiet truths. Like appreciation. Like love. Like seeing what is instead of mourning what isn’t. That is how this story came to me. It was the day before Christmas, and the tree lay on a pile of discarded pine boughs. While a few remaining trees stood upright on the lot, bravely beckoning last-minute shoppers — “Take me! Take me!” — this tree knew better. No one would take him. He was scrawny. Scraggly. Undernourished. A Christmas tree that had clearly lost the genetic lottery, with broken branches and very little hope. Then two children arrived.  I can see them so clearly — wandering through the lot, examining the remaining trees, checking price tags, shaking their heads. The kind of head shake children make when they already know the answer but are hoping for a miracle anyway. The lot man noticed them and walked over. “What can I do for you?” he asked. “We would like a Christmas tree,” one of them said, “but we only have two dollars.” “Ho, ho, ho,” the man laughed. “That won’t buy a proper Christmas tree. But you can have anything you can find in that pile over there for two dollars.” And with that, the children ran toward the heap of pine rubbish. The tree lay right on top.  They couldn’t believe their eyes — and the tree couldn’t believe his. “It’s perfect!” they squealed, lifting him up, setting him upright, dancing around him as if he were the most magnificent tree on the lot. The tree did what trees do when hope returns — he rose to the occasion. He fluffed himself out as best he could. Even though it wasn’t much. Still, it was enough. They grabbed him by his feet and headed for home, calling back, “Thanks, Mister!” The lot man waved and laughed again, looking suspiciously like Santa as he stuffed the two dollars into his pocket. The tree was going to be a Christmas tree after all.  When the children dragged him through the door of their small home, calling out names — Mama! Charlie! Eloise! Leanne! — the room filled with excitement. The family gathered around as the tree was stood up in the corner. “Oh my, oh my,” they exclaimed. “It’s beautiful!” “It’s lovely!” “It’s divine!” And just like that, something extraordinary happened. With their praise, the tree became the tree-within-the-tree — a magnificent, full-bodied, full-scented, full-fledged Christmas tree. Not because his branches had changed, but because he had. Mama clapped her hands. “I know what we’ll do. We’ll decorate it.”  “With what?” the children asked. “Anything and everything.” And they did. Popcorn garlands. Tin-foil ornaments. Hair ribbons turned into bows. Baby rattles transformed into joyful music. A ballerina angel perched proudly at the top. Handmade creations carefully placed in just the right spots. Nothing was expensive. Nothing was store-bought. Everything was perfect. Left alone for a moment, the tree looked around the room. The chairs were chipped. The curtains stained. The couch torn. The rug spotted. And yet — it was beautiful. Because it was loved.  And then the tree saw something else. The chair-within-the-chair. The curtain-within-the-curtain. The couch-within-the-couch. The rug-within-the-rug. As he loved them, they brightened. This is the heart of the story for me — and the heart of Christmas itself. Appreciation changes things. Not the things themselves, but how we see them… and therefore how they become. When the family stood back and admired their work, Mama sighed. “No greater tree has there ever been.” And each child echoed, “I love it.” The tree-within-the-tree knew it was true. They loved what they had, not what they didn’t. On this Christmas Eve — where presents were few but gifts were plentiful — the greatest gift of all was given to the tree: the gift of appreciation. And in receiving it, he learned to love what he was, not what he wasn’t. Which made him perfect. That is the message I hope you carry with you — not just at Christmas, but all year long. When we appreciate what is, we allow it to become its fullest self. And sometimes, in doing that, we discover the beautiful tree-within-the-tree inside ourselves too.  Traveling should feel exciting, eye-opening, and full of possibilities — even for families managing food allergies. In fact, with a little preparation and confidence, children with severe allergies can enjoy vacations just as fully as anyone else. That’s the heart of the message in my new children’s book, MAX’S BIG ADVENTURE: Traveling with Food Allergies, written with Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino. The story follows Max, a bright, enthusiastic boy who loves exploring the world, even though he has a severe allergy to peanuts and tree nuts. His summer trip to San Diego gives young readers a friendly, reassuring look at how to travel safely — and happily — with food allergies. And parents will find the lessons just as valuable. Below, we’ll walk through practical steps for traveling with food allergies, all inspired by Max’s experiences along the way.  1. Preparation Starts at Home In Max’s Big Adventure, Max begins packing for his family vacation with the same excitement every child feels — swimsuit, baseball cap, and favorite travel gear. But Max also knows something very important: he needs his emergency kit. His emergency kit includes:
 2. Pack Safe Snacks (Your Best Travel Companion)Max loves snacks — especially his Vermont Nut Free Chocolates! His mother makes sure to bring plenty of safe, pre-selected foods along for the flight and the trip. This is one of the smartest strategies for allergy-safe travel. Safe snack ideas include:
 3. Advocate for Yourself — Even as a Child One of the powerful moments in the story is when Max meets another boy on the airplane. The boy offers Max a homemade cookie, and Max politely says no, explaining: “I am allergic to nuts of all kinds. So, I have to be very careful what I eat.” Max’s health depends on speaking up — and he does it clearly and kindly. Teaching kids to advocate for themselves may be the most important skill of all. Encourage your child to say things like:
 4. Communicate with Airlines, Hotels, and Restaurants In the story, Max’s parents alert the flight attendants before the plane takes off. Later, in the hotel restaurant, Max politely tells the waitress about his allergy. She checks with the chef to ensure his meal is safe. Communication is a key component of allergy-safe travel. Before your trip, contact:
 5. Stay Calm but Aware: Safe Fun Every Day Max’s vacation becomes a joyful adventure — walks along the beach, splashing in ocean waves, and an exciting trip to the zoo. Throughout the story, he always keeps his safe snacks nearby, and his mother carries his emergency kit. Their message is simple: You can have enormous fun while still being smart about allergies. Whether visiting a zoo, amusement park, museum, or beach, keep these tips in mind:
 6. The Big Lesson: You Can Go Anywhere At the end of Max’s Big Adventure, Max realizes something empowering: “By being prepared and careful, he could go anywhere and do most anything.” That is exactly the message we want young readers — and their parents — to take with them. Traveling with food allergies does not need to limit your world. It simply requires planning, communication, and confidence. Families can visit new cities, try new experiences, and make beautiful memories, all while staying safe. This book gives children reassurance that their allergy doesn’t have to hold them back. Max isn’t fearful — he’s prepared. He’s capable. And he’s excited to explore. Want to Share Max’s Story with Your Family?Max’s Big Adventure: Traveling with Food Allergies is a wonderful addition to any family bookshelf, classroom, or doctor’s office. Children will feel comforted and empowered as they watch Max navigate his journey with awareness and courage.
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Sally Huss
I'm an author/illustrator of many children's books, over 100. I've also had 26 of my own licensed art galleries across the country and filled them with my art and happy thoughts. Those thoughts became the basis of my King Features syndicated newspaper panel -- Happy Musings. In this blog, you will find themes on health and happiness, tennis and pickleball, love and life -- all to inform you and brighten your day. Archives
December 2025
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