This is a message to all of the school teachers out there that teach our children how to penmanship…you are needed more than you realize! I remember sitting in my desk in 5th grade, Sr. Miriam, a 4ft 9″ ball of fire standing in the front of the room with a long wooden pointer going over three large charts hanging near the black board that went over the ‘correct’ way to write in cursif. We had already learned how years before but she was not happy with our ‘sloppy’ penmanship. I knew that if I would slow down my writing would be just as beautiful as the examples on the wall. Problem was my mind didn’t want to slow down!
Once we were ‘let loose’ in middle school my penmanship declined rapidly. My hand could never catch up with my mind, therefore, many letters never quite made it to full fruition. As the years progressed computers took off and I will admit I’m a WHIZ on the keyboard! Finally something that can keep up with my mind! I never felt I would have a penmanship issue again….UNTIL I’ve been asked to sign books!!!
AUGH! 🙁 First of all, I’m flattered and humbled. Second, I’m mortified realizing my messy signature will be permanent in these books! What if no one can read my writing? 🙂 Those I’ve signed so far I’ve tried to slow down when writing…but then my mind trips up and I mess up some how! That’s almost worse…a signature and comment with a an ‘oops’. LOL Who knew this would be an issue??
What is the moral? Encourage your kids to practice their writing! I know I have to begin first with Ryan who is already getting points taken because the teacher can’t read his writing to realize he answered correctly. 🙁 Like mother, like son.
What my true lesson for the day was recognizing that in ‘signing’ a book I have this one little window of opportunity to permanently deliver a message specifically to someone’s given name that exudes His love, promise and light. That is an honor. I just wish He would’ve handed down some sort of ‘ability’ to have eloquent penmanship.
🙂
Blessings
Shannon