When I was little,
my grandma always told me,
to wash my hands
when I came home from wherever
I had been that day.
It didn’t matter whether it was
the park,
school,
or some store.
Every time I entered her door,
I was required to lather my hands
with soap and water.
I saw it as
some annoying ritual,
an unnecessary habit.
I hated washing my hands,
and I didn’t care about the germs.
However, I always was
“The Girl Who’s Never Sick”
 in school.

© Copyright R. McCarthy