Pen & Paper

Nearly everything I "do" requires that I write: mail to friends & family, pay bills, keep records for business, my journal, to do lists. All these require my use of pen & paper.

I am particular about my pen; one that flows smoothly, has a good line on paper, goes through to carbon copies and feels comfortable in my hand. Not too small so my fingers don't cramp. Not too big or I can't handle it well. I usually prefer black ink, but the pen itself can be boldly bight or soothing in color. Sometimes, for emphasis, I choose a different color ink.

When I did accounting, blue and red were necessary, but black is the easiest for me to read. I don't care to use pencils. They need to be sharpened, smear and don't show up as well when I read it the second time. But -- they do erase! That's a plus for me as I tend to make mistakes when my head rushes ahead of my hand.

I love varieties of papers. White with lines, colored with borders, bright bold colors, columns for work accounts, note pads, post cards -- almost anything that will hold ink.

Pens & papers are my self expression. My way of showing my creative side. I'm not very good at drawing, so I use paper with color and/or pictures. I see beauty in the choice of paper. Post cards and occasion cards express my thoughts and feelings for or about others. They show I care, I'm thinking of them. I can choose the ones that will best please the receiver.

Without pen & paper I couldn't take care of our business, but as important to me is the communication with family that they enable. I would be totally bereft if I couldn't write to my granddaughters. Receiving a personal note in the mail, something to hold onto and savor, something that is a tangible sign that I thought of them seems more satisfying to me than a phone call or an email. I don't care if I don't receive cards and letters, although it is a great treat, but I must be able to express my self with pen & paper.

This thing that I feel I have been called to do (writing) would be impossible for me without a pen & paper. I write my thoughts down then edit as I transfer to the computer. This is how I share what God is showing me. This is how I show others the wonderful world that God has created for us. It amazes me when I think of the care and planning He took in making our world: the beauty, the divirsity, the minute details of the interdependence of all of life. Each day I see His love for me, for us, in the world around us. I must write what I see so I can tell others of Him.