K's "A's"

In third grade, Katie started writing her "A's" differently than we'd been taught. My initial thought was, "Sinful." However, as with all things Katie, I wanted so badly to follow suit, and upon learning she was getting off scot-free, I was so in. After school, it was back to the chalkboard for the two of us. We hustled home to the basement where the green chalkboard sat on the floor outside her bedroom door. We'd park ourselves in front of it and write row after row of "A's," each taking turns. I would watch her hands slowly form each curve of an "A," and try my best to imitate. Soon thereafter, Katie started drawing flowers on her papers. Five-petaled flowers. I figured if I was truly going to be like her when I grew up, I had better learn. Then came the stars. Miss Katie could draw a star without any criss-crossed lines through the middle. My spelling tests would come back from her direction with a big red star, and a "Great Job!" in perfect penmanship.

I'm proud to say I can now draw stars and flowers and "A's" in a way that drives third grade teachers batty (later we both got in trouble for being so rebellious). But, it didn't stop there. The handwriting practice continued as Kates seemed to re-invent hers every so often. Classmates started calling her "Typewriter," and for good reason. Everything was perfect, the height of the letters, the space between them, the way the "Y" comfortably dangled down onto the next line.

To this day, Katie's handwriting is far better than mine. Her "O's" are more round, her "T's" more straightly crossed. Every time I receive a note from her in the mail or see a grocery list on her kitchen counter I am reminded that mine falls a little short. I guess I didn't practice enough. My parent's didn't have a green chalkboard. Or maybe that's just life and your best friend is supposed to be one step ahead of you, always encouraging you to try harder, to write one more row of "A's" and to give the five petaled flowers a go. I should thank my lucky stars she set the prototype for me, in handwriting and in life, cheering me on with "Great Job's!" and red stars to boot.