Handwriting

Life is the 21st century is all about easy, quick communication.   Blogging, texting, email, voicemail, IMing, Facebook, it just keeps going.  I rarely take the time to sit down and put pen to paper to express my thoughts, more often than not it's a quick email or text, or a hurried thank you or "great job" in passing as we all rush to our next destination.

A few months ago I came to the end of several years serving as the President of our ward's (that's the local congregation of our church) Primary organization. In our Church, Primary is the organization for all the children ages 18 month to 12 years old.   Find out more about Primary

Oh, how I loved serving in the Primary with my children and their friends.  It was a shiny place for me, so full of love and laughter, hope and happiness, but I digress.  Cutting to the quick-I was so sad to see it end, sad doesn't really even begin to describe how I felt as I knew my time was coming to a close.  And I did know it was coming to a close, I felt it for at least 6 months before it happened, and I tried really hard to prepare my heart to leave my little friends.

And still, I was sad.  I knew it was time, I knew it was right, but it was hard to say goodbye.  Then one by one little notes began to appear in my mailbox, or on my doorstep, or in the hands of one of my little friends.  Handwritten notes.  Notes that said "Thank You"  or "I Love You" or blank note cards with heartfelt words of appreciation. 

It was a beautiful experience, it began to bring tears to my eyes just to see a notecard on the door step or in the mailbox, I felt so very loved.  And then it happened again, when I spoke in church-people actually sat down, put real live ink to paper and took time to write me about it.  And again when I made a blog post that touched them.  I couldn't believe how much these words of love meant to me.  Isn't it funny how seeing your name in someone's real life handwriting means more than it does on a computer screen? 

As one friend said in such a note "I wanted to take the time, in permanent form..."  and maybe that's the kicker, in two parts.  One, it takes time to get out the card and envelope, to find a pen that actually works, to think about what you want to say---no delete key or spellchecker available, and to sit down and physically write out the thoughts in your heart.  Two, it's permanent, I can pull it out anytime, anywhere I want to, and evoke those same feelings of love and friendship I felt the first time. 

I have some of my mom's recipes copied in her original handwriting, and I adore them.  She loved to bake and cooking was an art for her, these are real parts of her life, and I love seeing her handwriting as I prepare my own family's meals.  She feels closer, and the distance between Heaven and Earth smaller when I look at what she wrote.  I treasure the notes in my little ones handwriting as they tell me I'm "the beest moomm evah"  I still have all the letters my then best friend-now husband wrote me all the way through the time he served as a missionary for our church, two years worth of pen to paper thoughts.  Priceless.  I have all the letters I wrote him as well, somewhat less priceless to me, but I'm sure one day our children will laugh at us, even as they warm at the realization that we were best friends long before we were in love.

Priceless treasures formed from paper, ink and the heart.

Excuse me, I think I'll step away from this keyboard and find a pen that works, and write down, in permanent form, how much I appreciate someone.  Want to join me?