ONE MORE BETRAYAL

My Handwriting Is Betraying Me 

I have officially reached the stage of life where my handwriting has started doing its own thing.

It used to be neat. Catholic school perfect, definitely readable. Now? My hand seems to forget mid-word what the plan was. Letters lean. Lines drift. My “g” looks like a number. My “s” looks like I sneezed while writing it. And somehow, everything I write has the visual energy of a ransom note—even when I’m just trying to ask someone to remember paper towels at Costco.

So I made a small pivot.  As we do with so many things as we reach these golden years.   Instead of writing notes on a full sheet of paper like I’m issuing an executive memo from the Department of Household Operations, I’ve started printing on 4x6 index cards.

And honestly?  It feels more personable.

A full sheet of paper feels like a list of demands.
A note card feels like a friendly suggestion from a gentle woman who definitely is not irritated and absolutely is not keeping a running mental spreadsheet of who forgot what last time.

It’s smaller. Softer. Cutier. Less threatening.  I’m only sacrificing 24 square inches of paper instead of a whole page. This is what you call aging wisdom.

Index cards are my new communication style.  My new love language.  My new “please don’t make me repeat myself” system.

I print.  I write a little personal line.  I leave it in a spot where it will be seen.  (Each kidult has a "favorite" spot on our sofa system. For the boys, I put it on the bathroom vanity.)

Like some kind of polite household fairy who is one Sharpie away from snapping.

And here’s the funny part: my family respond to it better.   No one looks at a note card and thinks, “Ugh. Now what?”

They think, “Aw, that’s sweet.” And I use different fonts and sometimes color.

Even when the message is: PLEASE PUT YOUR SHOES SOMEWHERE THAT IS NOT THE MIDDLE OF THE HALLWAY.

So yes. My handwriting is getting worse.
But my delivery system?  It’s improving.

And if this is what it takes for me to stay kind, functional, and just slightly charming while helping to manage a busy house full of humans and activities.

It really is the little things in life!

Now hand me another index card.