Favorite Pens

Daily Gratitude Year 5-Day 33: Today, I am grateful for favorite pens.


A pen... the right pen... can change our signature. It impacts how we write. One that is comfortable in the hand and helps our writing shine often becomes the favorite.

My handwriting can change with my mood... and my pen.

A favorite pen... and one I've not seen in a while... is the one that looks like a pencil, but has a very fine point. I is comfortable to hold and the fine line is great for swirls and curls. 

An old fashioned Papermate Flair is just fun. They quick dry and don't smear on any flat, matte paper. The pop of color makes important things stand out. 

A white gel pen on dark paper is a doodlers delight. 

Some love Tul. I have some Staedtler pens that have a triangular shape and a delightful line. A precious pen... is wooden... made by a patient many years ago. It is precious because he took the time to make it, choose what I would like and the heart of the giver. Yes, a pen can be a favorite for the sentimentality attached to it.

At my first social service job, I worked in a "bull pen". Good people. Slightly cracked. Inadvertent pen thieves. I learned to write "Stolen from Valerie" on my favorite pens, scissors and "jaws". It helped them return to me.

In school, I wrote ridiculously detailed notes. I always had several pens (just in case I lost one). Writing it down helped me learn. It made the learning a little more mine. And... I could review it. Between my friend Susan and I... for classes we shared... we always had plenty of notes to study when we combined and discussed our lengthy, handwritten notes. It is how we prepared for a test.

I know you were sure I would return to Habakuk 2:2, but there are other scriptures that speak of writing. When we write something down... it does something in our brain. It helps it stick. It is why we can forget the hand written grocery list, but still close our eyes and remember what we wrote if we only take a minute to do that very thing. Writing aides memory for many.

Look at this scripture. The God who breathed life into creation has always known that writing things down helps us learn, remember and share knowledge. Look at this scripture:

"Keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart." -Proverbs 7:2-3

I am sure science supports this.

I worry that with so much keyboarding and digital communication, we are losing not just the art of writing, but the heart of it. I would rather write on a keyboard, it is faster and that lovely little red line helps me correct my spelling when needed. 

Today, I will bask in the delight of my favorite pens. They make daily tasks feel less "daily". 

Today, I am grateful for favorite pens.