There is one thing in this world that I am absolutely certain of: handwritten notes are precious and amazing. The walls of my bedroom are scattered with handwritten notes and looking up at one was the inspiration for this piece. However, not only are handwritten notes from other people amazing and kind, handwritten notes from yourself are also very helpful. A lot of people can come to agreement that handwriting something is a lot more special and has a lot more sentiment than something that is not.
In my first year of college, I was very far from home. My parents would send me mail twice a month with trinkets or goods, anything really. They also attached handwritten notes. Two of my most treasured possessions are notecards from both my mom and my dad with words of encouragement written on them. As much as I love to receive a card that is filled with money for my birthday or holidays, I would love to receive a letter expressing how much I mean to someone or offering words of encouragement. The sentiment behind a handwritten note often brings me to tears of joy. I once received a graduation card from my best friend. Only she and I know what is on that letter. This school year will be 3 years since we graduated, but every time I find and read that card, tears flow freely. It’s not that the contents are sad or even encouraging. Its that it makes me feel a higher level of appreciation for our friendship.
The meanings behind handwritten notes are much deeper than a text. Over quarantine, I wrote a letter to my closest friends and just told them I appreciated them and things. I don’t know how they felt about those letters, and they probably won’t tell me, but I know it meant something. I love to write by hand. Whether it’s notes for class or reminders, I would rather see it in my writing on paper. Seeing the writing, whether my own or not, sticks in my mind much longer.
My dad had very loopy, connected cursive handwriting. It was small and concise. My mom has very large cursive handwriting. English isn’t her first language, so some words are spelled wrong, but never when important. My brother writes in small, capital letters. It makes it easier to see and understand math when he is attempting to help me. My writing is a mix of all of theirs. I write in small, cursive letters that seem to connect. I often misspell something by adding a letter that isn’t really a letter because my cursive loops so much. A handwriting specialist would probably hate my writing because there is nothing consistent about it.
Handwriting is very unique and individualistic, which is why receiving something handwritten is special. The person who wrote it took the time to construct the right words in order to express their feelings to you. Sometimes, writing to yourself can also be encouraging to remind yourself of things that are important. I’m sure most people have written a note to their future selves. If you haven’t try writing a note to your current self. Remind yourself of your values and strengths. Tell yourself it is okay to feel things. Give yourself some encouragement. I find that when I can’t encourage others, I have to encourage myself. Get out there and write stuff.
HCXO, Cecilia