Reasons for Learning Penmanship

The other day I went to my mailbox and inside was a gift from a friend that was truly heartfelt. I have received many wonderful gifts in my life but when I opened this, not only was it genuinely thought out it also brought back wonderful memories.

​The gift was a beautiful packet of note cards.

​Yes. In a world where we send emails, e-cards and even pay bills online I was excited about receiving note cards.

Seriously, Penmanship

​I see you young people laughing at me. Let me tell you something, though. I worked way too hard in the 70s with the nuns over my shoulder learning to perfect my penmanship. You may not have been around but I remember as if it were yesterday. That fear of leaving the number two pencil with the eraser on top to graduate to the fifth grade where the ball point pen and the scary lines and curves of cursive writing began. I got scolded by Sister Bernice many days when our definitions of neat did not match.

I learned many years later how things in the penmanship world changed when I had my little fifth grade son handing in his pencil and grabbing my pens to head to school. Admittedly, I turned into Sister Bernice when I felt his writing was sloppy. That did not last long however as his teacher scolded ME on parent teacher conference night to let him write as he sees fit.

Personally, I’m happy I was taught to write neatly. While I do spend enormous amounts of time typing I do write in a journal every night. I cannot tell you how many filled books I have with memories written by me. I am not sure where these books will one day end up.

Cherished Memories

My mom did not have a very nice handwriting, but every now and then I stumble upon a card she sent me and I cherish it. As I write in my journals I think about how I wish she had written her thoughts and daily activities down in a book like I am. We think things like notes and cards do not matter but as you get older you realize they do.

​There are many joyful moments logged in the pages of my journal. There are many sad ones, as well. Generations were not there to see me sitting on a windowsill in the hallway of my Aunt Hilda’s hospital room as they freshened her up for the day. I remember watching the sunrise and expressing my feelings knowing that I was a few hours from kissing her good-bye. While it was happening I used that book as therapy to get me through a sad experience. Now, ten years later, it holds notes on history for future generations.

For the Future

​I smile at the stacks of journals of all shapes, sizes and designs stacked on my shelves. I wrote some with ballpoint pen, some with marker and when necessary a number two pencil scratched the surface of the white page now and then. So many memories!

Thanks to technology I have been given many incredible opportunities to share my personal story, and by no means would I give that up. I still get excited when I receive an email or a text. A blog comment and a thumbs up on a Facebook post makes my heart soar. Believe me, I know that I need a social media intervention! You will find me there on a daily basis. As I type I can see Sister Bernice scowling down at me that I should be grabbing a pen and my notebook.

Thanks, Sister Bernice!

Sister Bernice may have been a touch to hard on us back in the day but I am glad she taught me penmanship. There are few things in the world as personal as holding a handwritten note.

I smile at the Christmas card I received from my now grown-up son who, in his not so perfect penmanship, wrote ‘Merry Christmas Mom! You are a blessing in my life!’ It’s priceless.

Soon I will hit send and smile with happiness as I have another blog post to add to my cyber collection of memories.

I will now shut down my screen, grab a pen and in my perfect handwriting thank the person who sent me these beautiful note cards for not only the heartfelt gift but the memory it brought back.

​To the young generation reading this, dot the i’s and cross the t’s. Grab a number two pencil, a Bic pen, a marker or crayon. It does not matter. Make it neat or sloppy! I don’t care. Just please take a moment and write a note, card or journal a memory.

​A little penmanship brightens someones life today. While it seems like nothing, take it from me. You create a cherished and preserved as a beautiful memory to look back at one day. I hope I gave you many reasons for learning penmanship!