Practicing old skills

I've been making an effort lately to practice some skills that I haven't used very often in the last few years, and I think are becoming lost arts.

The first is writing hand-written cards. I have a friend who, after every holiday or birthday, has her kids sit down and write thank-you cards. It makes a person feel special to get a card in the mail. It's nice to know people think of you with texts and emails, but taking the time to write a card, address the envelope and put it in the mail is worth the extra effort. Opening your mailbox to find more than bills and junk mail is a treat.

Our church has done this for years, sending cards to people on our prayer list each month. However, there are many reasons to send cards. Letting someone know you are thinking of them can make their whole week.

So my new effort has been to write a card a week and pop it in the mail. I made cute notecards with pictures of the area or my dog. Sometimes it's only one or two sentences in the card, but it lifts my spirits to reach out, and hopefully the recipient's as well.

The other skill I've been practicing is writing in cursive. Except for my chicken scratch of a signature, I can't remember the last time I wrote something in cursive. Sometimes I'll get into a hybrid of print and cursive. If you've ever tried to decipher my note taking when I'm interviewing someone, good luck, though I understand my code just fine. It has taken some practice to get used to writing in cursive, and I'm definitely not very speedy at it.

These are simple skills I'm practicing, but it's a fun little challenge to myself.

What are some skills that you've been practicing? Email me at [email protected].

— Annie Wooden