At the right moment, hands can reach out to comfort or hold firm to support; hands greet and signal; they embrace and offer affection; they set boundaries, write, and bestow blessings; a hand traces a farewell or a "see you soon" in the air, offering shelter and healing wounds. To the world, hands are action; to the elderly, they are security; to the irascible, a raised hand is a threat; to the beggar, an outstretched hand is a plea; and for those who love and embrace their beloved, hands both caress and chastise.