These hands unite us
They do not define us
Or prevent us
from being who we are

We are young and middle aged and old
We are male and female
We painfully thin
We are over weight
from the pain
from the meds
from inability

We are athletes
and authors
Painters, actors and politicians.
We are parents and siblings and children
We are not ashamed
We are not invisible
we are not the silent minority/majority
we are the hands
taking the places
of the hearts
and toes
and faces
of RA

See us for who we are
See us for what we CAN do
not for what we are no longer able to do

Take my hand
virtually or really
Walk gently with me
See me for who
I really am

I ride the train with you
every day to work or school
I sit across the meeting table
and take notes
I pour you your coffee
make your change
bag your groceries
pump your gas
entertain you with golf or tennis or movies and humor
I am anyone and everyone
and I will no longer be invisible.

These hands are painful hands
sometimes they are twisted and deformed
others inflamed  from my disease or from my treatment
still others appear
absolutely normal
but all are autoimmune arthritis hands
and all want you
to understand.