I don't know if I owe thanks to my 3rd grade teacher, Mr. Nordyke, for forcing me to think about spacing and size of my letters or if it's just a quirky part of my personality, but I have always loved handwriting. I remember writing my name on every sheet of every spiral bound notebook I could find, trying to make my handwriting look "pretty"....that much practice didn't make perfect, however. It is now just a conglomeration of print mixed with cursive mixed with what-in-the-world-is-that-letter? But MY penmanship is beside the point ;)
Handwriting played a key part in the whole discovery of jolly St. Nick, you know....my dad's handwriting is unmistakable. Left handed, mostly all capital print with an artistic flare :) My mom's is dainty and pretty, always cursive, evenly spaced letters, evenly spaced words, completely straight lines...even on a non-lined piece of paper. It actually could be a typing font....always perfect, always easy to read :)
But what got me thinking about penmanship was an old box of papers I found in the garage Saturday. I went through it piece by piece last night....excited about what I might discover. Kind of like a treasure hunt, for sure :)
I found report cards, magazines, old school news publications from middle and high school, award certificates from girl's camp and EFY, seminary report cards and study manuals, locker signs from good friends wishing me happy birthday or good luck cheering at the big game that night.....
What I wasn't prepared to find, however, was a birthday card from my Great Grandma Bessie. It was still in the mailing envelope, post marked April 20, 1993....it even had the $5 she had sent me in it. But I didn't have to open it to know who it was from. Seeing her handwriting on that envelope sent me to tears as a flood of memories washed over my mind. Her handwriting still holds the sound of her voice and I can still hear her singing You Are My Sunshine at 6am as she gets started on her yard work, dressed in lavender polyester perfectly pressed and pleated slacks over her tan pantyhose with peep toed sling back size 4 1/2 shoes paired with a flowing pink floral top with ruffles or a bow in the front and her beautiful silver white curled hair. She always called us "tar heels", which I never knew was a good or bad thing....I just chalked it up to a term of endearment, because I knew she loved me....even when I scared her one time and she called me her favorite term for pests..."little sh**".She had a fire about her that I admire.
I miss her. And I am so grateful that I was a pack rat and saved those cards. They are so precious to me now. Thank you, Grandma. I love you. 
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