It's National Handwriting Day.

Do you have a pen and paper ready?

Nature photo of the day: rosemary tincture we just started today. Don’t forget, rosemary has long been called “herb of remembrance”, for good reasons.

Rather than typing up today’s poem, I’ve written it start to finish - by hand.

And for those of you who cannot read my cursive, I’ve scribed another copy down below.

poem written on paper (by hand) and notes upon notes upon handwritten notes

I often have a lot of thoughts running through my head. Yet, I never turn to the computer unless I absolutely need to type up an article, or search for something online, often getting distracted by a couple of cute dog videos in between social media calls. Call me old-fashioned if you like, but I find it faster to jot a few words down rather than turn the laptop on - which nowadays needs access to the internet to use it to its full function.

Since it takes a few minutes to turn the internet on (believe it or not, that’s how it works around here), I then grab a pen and some paper, as you can see, not all the same size, nor the same pen, and write down what wants to be written.

Did you know that January 23 is National Handwriting Day?

We even marked it on our calendar this year, in hopes that we could write this article in time to actually say something about this overlooked, yet important National Handwriting Day.

As you know firsthand, it’s all too easy to sit down and type your heart out as the thoughts flow quickly out of your fingertips. For some people without ever looking down at the keyboard. Typing is easy. Writing by hand, not so much.

Even though I handwrite notes often enough, they are just notes. When you sit down to clearly write out a poem, or a letter to someone you love, it takes time and focus to make it right.

As I sat here writing my poem by hand in print, and then in cursive, it made me aware how hard I was pressing with the pen, how smoothly, or not, the pen was gliding across the laser printer paper, and how my movements didn’t feel so steady as they were in college (more than twenty years ago!).

I’m out of practice, I must admit. And yet, I tried, and I shared, because I think it is really important to challenge yourself to do new things - as well as things you already know how to do, but maybe haven’t done in a long while.

As digital devices attempt to take over our lives, it just feels good, every once in awhile to pick up a pen, pencil, piece of charcoal, or any other tool that gifts us with the ability to write. If you are looking for something to be grateful for today, write it down, by hand. See if your own handwriting brings you joy, perhaps with a hint of nostalgia. If it doesn’t, perhaps it’s time to get back to the drawing board.

Today is the once-a-year holiday to gift yourself with some tech-free time as you grab a pen(cil) and some paper and get to work.

For starters, you can write:

• in your nature/gratitude or Earth Gratitude/mindset journal

• a poem about the day

• your gratitude for the week

• a letter to a friend, sibling, parent, grandparent, or anyone else you haven’t seen for a very long time

• a thank you card to an unexpecting recipient

• or even a simple to-do list

You can write little, or you can write much, but let me remind you of the importance of writing by hand.

Writing by hand, and this is scientifically-proven, boosts your memory, which in turn allows you to recall information faster through the process of encoding. Where have I seen that before? You might ask yourself. Well, you’d remember a lot more if you were the one writing it down.

Writing by hand slows your racing thoughts down and allows them to come out in a more orderly way. You can only fit so much on a page and you can only write so quickly, so there are limitations, and still they don’t restrain your creativity. Because there is always more paper and there will always be more time.

Writing by hand minimizes distractions. I’ve never used a digital device for taking notes, but from the mouths of others, it’s said that when one app is open, another one will open next to it. That’s the luring way that technology works. Say you are grocery shopping with a paper list. You take the list from your pocket and scan it to make sure everything is in the cart. If you are in the store using your phone, the temptation to look beyond the virtual list will always be there, unless you are in a rush.

If you are looking for more magic and power in your writing, return to the roots of putting your thoughts down in black and white. You may not be able to measure the energy of a handwritten letter, yet the recipients will certainly feel that they are loved in this acceleratingly modern world - and that’s what matters most - how we make others feel.

A few handwritten words, or a text message? Which would you prefer?

If you aren’t yet convinced about the power of the pen, I suggest you to read through this article for more handwriting tips: The Benefits of Handwriting: 10 Amazing Truths about Writing by Hand.

As for the journal prompt of the day:

When was the last time I wrote a thank you letter to someone who deserved it? When was the last time I received one?

How did it make them feel? How did it make you feel? Why don’t you send thank you letters more often?

To all who made it this far, thank you for reading all the way through to the end.